Friends with Benefits?
by Passionate Heart
Summary: From the beginning, it took all Emily had to try to forget Damon. That didn't work, and now she accepts her feeling for him! Can she go from Rock to Olympian? Can she deal with all the drama?
1. Chapter 1: Truths Unfold

**Summary: After the first kiss, Emily Kmetko was mesmerized by Damon Young… after an almost kiss at the gym that night… it took all she had to try to forget him. Will it work? Especially when Razor is coming back? **

FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS?

**Chapter 1: Truths Unfold**

At the gym, Emily was extremely glad for the constant distractions from practice, to hearing girls gossip of her return, to Sasha calling her and giving her orders and tips on her performance, to MJ getting the video profile on her for the collection. She didn't want to think about Damon Young, the guy who turned her world upside down. She couldn't believe it, but she owed this guy… without his skill of breaking into the gym, she didn't know if she would have been able to come back to the Rock… more than that… he helped her gain trust. Even though she didn't trust Damon completely, she felt safer with him in her life. He didn't seem like the type of guy to just up and leave… at least without an explanation.

…..

After a full day of training, Kaylie Cruz ran over to Emily, "I can't believe he let you back in! What happened?"

"Well," Emily started as she grabbed her stuff, "I had to let go… he needed me to trust him. Now that I have a little more trust in him, he let me come back."

"That's great! I'm so happy for you! Hey, since MJ has been recording you, that must mean Sasha thinks you're going to make it to the Nationals! Are you excited?"

"Yeah, totally. I mean, it's great that he trusts me… I guess I need to really step up my game now, huh."

Just then, Payson Keeler walked over, "Wow, Sasha seems really excited today! I think he's happy you are back. Today was our best day since you left."

"Really? Well, thanks for the compliment, but I owe him a lot for letting me come back." She looked at the clock and grabbed her bag, "Well, sorry to rush, but I have to go so I'm not late, you know."

"Need a ride?" Kaylie asked. "I can give you a ride. I'd love to checkout your place again."

"Yeah, it could be a little field trip for us," Payson added.

"Well, if you don't mind, that would be great. Let me call my mom and tell her I have a ride and not worry."

…

As the girls entered the Pizza Shack, Emily was met by Damon's almost sad eyes, "Hey Kmetko… you've got like five seconds to punch in or you're late."

"Thanks Damon." She turned to the girls, "Can I get you something? Anything? I mean, we have salads and stuff."

Kaylie looked at the menu for a second before choosing the Caesar Salad and water to drink; Payson ordered a Caesar salad as well, and got a Hawaiian punch promising she'd do an extra workout to burn the calories. Damon turned around and bit his lip to hide a laugh, but it still escaped his lips, making the girls turn to him. "Um, sorry. I had a cough." With that, he turned around and started to make the salads.

"Need help?" Emily asked slightly sarcastic.

"Sure."

"What was that about? Let the girls have a break, Damon."

"That's not the problem. I would give her a Coke and not complain… I'm just impressed by the 'dedication' she has to this sport."

"It's her whole life Damon."

"I know, so she should just chill out a little and not get too obsessed. It's not healthy."

"You don't know Payson. She's the most dedicated… sometimes even more than me."

"So, do you actually eat the pizza we send you or the bread sticks?"

"No, I give that to my mom and brother. I just eat soup and salad." I lied, not wanting him to have more fuel to tease the girls with.

"You really are crazy, Emily."

"I know, but thanks for telling me anyway."

She turned and handed the girls their food. The three of them chatted until Emily's boss showed up, giving the girls their cue to leave, "Well, we'll see you tomorrow Emily."

"Yeah," Payson agreed. Surprisingly, she turned to Damon, "See you later, Damon. Maybe you'll come to one of our competitions."

With that, the girls were off… driving away to their own home and their own world.

….

When the girls were gone, Emily turned to Damon, "So, what's up with you? Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm cool."

"You're lying to me. I see it in your eyes. There's something wrong."

"So, now you know me enough to know what I'm feeling?" he asked sarcastically.

"Yeah. So tell me." Emily wasn't about to budge. She wanted to know what was going on with Damon. He seemed bipolar at times, and she wanted to understand him.

"Ok… don't hate me, but the truth is…. Oh, I can't take this. Just forget about it Emily… please."

"Tell me now Damon," Emily protested. Her patience had all run out for the day, "I'm not going to leave you alone!"

"Fine!" Damon sighed loudly and shook his head before continuing, "Razor's back. He'll be back at work tomorrow. He came back from the tour early this morning. When he got back to the apartment, he asked me to fill in for him for one more day. I can't believe it's already over. I mean, I considered working here even if he comes back… I just… I mean… I don't know… I just don't want to leave you." Damon looked down at the pizza he was putting cheese on. He couldn't believe he told her he didn't want to leave her! She probably thought he was a freak!

"Damon," Emily's voice was closer than he expected. When he looked up, he saw she had moved closer to his side. She rested her hand on his shoulder, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Razor wanted to surprise you. He was going to drop by your place after closing. Sorry I ruined it for you." Damon kept his eyes on the ground, trying to control his emotions. Finally, after a few moments of silence passed, Damon looked up and saw tears running down Emily's face. Her cheeks were red from her crying, but when she noticed he saw, she quickly wiped her eyes, trying to cover up the evidence.

Damon put his hand on her cheek, and wiped the tears away. "Don't cry, Kmetko. It's no big deal really."

"Yes, yes it is," Emily sighed as she put her hand on his. The two shared another silent moment, each looking into each other's eyes. Damon's eyes drifted, distracted by her smooth, red lips. He looked from her eyes to her lips to her eyes to her lips again. He was mesmerized. His first kiss with her was to prove a point to himself and to Razor: Damon was his own man, and he could do what he pleased and he could be interested in whom he wished. The next chance he had to kiss her was almost perfect. He wished so much for her to accept his kiss, but she was too determined to prove to her English ass coach that she was worthy to be a member of the Rock. During all her training late at night at the Rock, he watched in awe as she did her routine, perfecting it and adding more to the difficulty level. He meant it when he said he had never seen anyone like her, he meant it when he asked what was next. He didn't expect her to say more practice; he wished she would just give in and kiss him. She refused, however, and continued to practice. Once she made it back to the Rock, and was told by her coach that she was going to Nationals, she seemed so happy, like a great burden was lifted off of her. He was glad for her, but he was also jealous because she wouldn't be spending as much time with him. Then she asked him what he was afraid of. He couldn't believe his answer… he was afraid of losing her, afraid she might move on and focus on her gymnastics, or worse yet… find a guy who was a gymnast, someone who had the same dreams she had… even worse yet… he could lose her to his best friend, Razor… the way it was meant to be… the way he tried to convince himself… the reason he had held back from the beginning.

Now, she was his. For a brief moment in time, she was surrendering herself. She was giving him a chance, a chance to finally do what he wanted to from the moment he saw her in that blue ruffle filled dress… especially the moment she answered his oh-so-simple trivia question. He was taking this chance. Just then, he leaned closer to Emily, the girl of his dreams, slowly, his lips met hers. He was hesitant at first, but when she wrapped her arms around his neck, returning the kiss; in return, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her up, setting her on the counter. He spread her legs apart, just so he could step in closer, so there was no space between them. At that moment… that moment alone… Damon felt complete. His whole world was complete. The girl of his dreams was in his arms, kissing him back.

"Ahem, you guys should get back to work! There is a line forming!"

Emily and Damon popped their heads up in surprise. Their boss was standing there with her jaw slightly opened at the sight. Emily quickly blushed and jumped off the counter, clearing her throat and fixing her apron.

"Well," Damon coughed as he grabbed a notebook and pen to take the customers' orders, "What can I get you?"

Emily ran from behind the counter to the bathroom, to hide her embarrassment.

….

Once the doors were closed and Damon and Emily were cleaning up, they avoided eye contact, the way they did the rest of the night.

"_I can't believe I just kissed her! AM I CRAZY? There is so much at stake for Kmetko… why am I even getting involved?_"

"_I am so surprised and embarrassed. I mean, there is so much going on right now… and am I ready to take this a step forward? Especially this close to Nationals? What am I going to do? Damon is so important to me… I can't believe what's going on right now._"

Finally, the last table was cleaned, and all the dishes were put away. Emily couldn't leave without confronting Damon… knowing that Razor was heading over to her place.

Damon headed to the back door, so he could head home.

"Hey, Damon! Wait up!"

Damon turned around, surprised that Emily was even speaking to him. "Yeah?" his voice was almost hopeful.

"Can you give me a ride home?"

"Are you serious? Razor's going to be there. He's going to get there before we do… are you sure you want this?"

"Well, it's just a ride Damon. What's up?"

"Well, it's just that I got to work on my motorcycle. Razor would kill me."

"You know, in the beginning you told me I was thinking of Razor. The truth is… you never forgot him. You keep talking about him… like I need to remember him. Why is that? Why is it so hard for you to except that I want to be with you?"

"Emily Kmetko, that night I met you… the night Razor asked me to cover for him… he told me to take care of you, but that he liked you… and he didn't want me to mess this up for the both of you… he likes you Kmetko. I know he was serious… I realized that the moment he introduced us. I tried not to have feelings for you, but each day got harder and harder. I mean… I feel complete when we are together… that kiss just proved it. How am I going to explain that to Razor… my best friend?"

"You won't have to Damon. I will."

"What? Are you crazy?"

"I'm serious, Damon. Razor and I are just friends. That's how I've always seen him. He's sweet and caring, but he's not my type of guy. He's someone I could learn to trust and hang out with, but I don't love him. I know there's another girl out there for him. I'm just not it. I can't be who he wants me to be. Not now, not ever."

"You're really crazy, girl. What the hell, let's go then." A smile slipped across his lips as he put his arm around her waist and lead her back to his bike.

With that, Emily got on the back of Damon Young's motorcycle and headed home.

…

As they neared the parking lot, Emily tightened her grip on Damon as he slowed down, into an empty spot. As he pulled in, he saw Razor, waiting at the door… flowers in hand, and his jaw slightly opened. Damon tried hard to pull himself together under his helmet… he didn't know what to do. He was so sad for his friend, but at the same time he finally found the girl he wanted. In truth, she was more than he ever hoped for. He didn't know any girl like Emily and he didn't want to lose her without having a fair shot. He just wondered how well his best friend would take it. Emily gave Damon one more quick squeeze of encouragement before he parked his motorcycle. She whispered quickly, I'll take care of it all… just act like you don't know what's going on.

The both of them pulled off their helmets, and Damon couldn't hide his sheepish smile of embarrassment. Emily, however, played it cool, "Razor! It's a surprise to see you here! I can't believe you're back! How was the tour? Did you have a lot of fun?"

"Um, yeah," Razor replied, not hiding his disappointment. "Did I come at a bad time? I mean, are you two, um, going to be busy?"

"Oh, me and Damon? I just asked him to give me a lift. I sure didn't expect to see you here at my door step. Did my mom invite you inside?"

"Uh, yeah… but I told her I'd wait out here to really surprise you. I guess you didn't need this surprise. I guess I'll just head home then."

"You don't have to go if you don't want to. I have dinner, and it would be fun to share it with you guys."

"Are you sure Emily?" Razor asked as he looked back at Damon who took his spot to the right of Emily, but slightly behind her.

"Yeah, it would be great." Emily reached in the luggage compartment of Damon's motorcycle and pulled out two boxes of pizza and a bag of bread sticks. With that, she headed over to the door and knocked, "Hey mom, can you get the door? My hands are full."

….

After an uneventful dinner, Emily noticed how Razor kept giving Damon these unreadable looks… to Emily they were unreadable, but to Damon… he knew exactly what his friend was saying. "Well, it was great to have friends for dinner," Brian said as he cleared the dishes. "I don't get to meet many of Emily's friends. It's good to see she has some… especially some that are really cool, like you guys."

"It was great to meet you too," Razor piped in as he helped with the dishes. "I'm glad we could share a meal together. Maybe we could hang out some time, play video games or something."

"That would be awesome," Brian replied.

"Well, off to bed Brian." Chloe announced trying to change the subject. "Let's just leave the three of them alone. I bet they have a lot to catch up on."

"Thanks, mom. Um, we'll just be outside, ok?" Emily replied.

"Great honey! Good night. I'm going to bed myself. Take care and see you in the morning."

Emily turned to Damon and Razor, "I guess I'll walk you guys to your vehicles. Did you guys enjoy dinner?"

"Yeah, it was great. Thanks for inviting me," Razor replied half heartedly.

"Well, we better let you rest up 'rock girl' so you can do your gymnastics tomorrow." Damon let his eyes show slight sadness before continuing, "Maybe I'll see you at work tomorrow." He gave a slight wink before heading out the door. Razor looked over at Damon, then Emily who was unconsciously blushing. Well, I will let you go as well Emily. I will talk more with you later."

Razor walked out her door with no hope. His shoulders were slouched and his head hung low as he walked over to his car. He gave Emily one more look before turning to Damon and giving him a stern look. Damon nodded then looked over at Emily, giving her a look saying, "I have to tell him the truth… at least part of it… that I fell in love with you."

Emily nodded in understanding and turned to leave the two guys to their own discussions.

…

**So, this is the first chapter to my first Make It Or Break It fanfic! I'm really excited about this! I think this will be short, sweet and to the point! Lol… I want to have a Damon/Emily pairing. I hope everyone likes this story! Hopefully, the next chapter will be up sooner rather than later! Have a great day! **


	2. Chapter 2: Man to Man… Band Boys

**Chapter 2: Man to Man… Band Boys**

"So dude, what happened while I was gone?" Razor's voice was slightly shaky with anger and disbelief of what had gone down earlier that night. Both guys were at the playground where they first met… sort of like their little secret hide out.

"Look man, it's not what you think. I mean… I… I don't even know where to begin." Damon stumbled on his words, unsure of what to say next.

"Let's make it simple, Damon, tell me how you got interested in her after I _told_ you she was off limits. Man, Damon, I can't believe this! I trusted you. I guess I was wrong to do so, but still… how could you just betray me like that. Seriously, Damon… I really can't believe you… is this some sort of sick joke? I told you I would be at her apartment… and what do you do? You give her a ride… on your motorcycle!"

"It's not like I planned this or anything, Razor. It was quite the opposite actually. I mean, I tried to stay away, but you know, working with her and the drama… it was hard. I grew to like her each day… and each day I saw her, it was harder not to let these feelings come out. Know what I mean?" Damon tried hard to explain. He didn't understand why either. He loved Emily, so why should he be ashamed of it? He tried to give Razor a shot, but hey, it's not his fault Razor went MIA for such a long time.

"No, dude, I don't know what you mean. Why don't you explain to me what happened… _exactly_."

"Well, let's see… I met her mom at work when she was covering for her daughter, and I was covering for you… it was our first day and neither of us knew what we were doing. We managed, and we started to just chat. She told me that Emily was a gymnast and then we talked a lot more… and she accidentally slipped and told me Emily had never been kissed before. So, I did her a favor…I went ahead and kissed her… it was a peck really, but at least she got her first kiss." Damon stopped for a moment as he recalled that day at the Shack, "She was honestly talking about how you and I are different, and how you were a nice guy… I guess I got offended and I knew you wouldn't make the first move, so I went ahead and did it."

Damon took a breath and shook his head at the memories, and feeling Razor tense a little more, he added, "No worries, she hated me for doing it… and I told her I wasn't interested in her. Afterwards, I helped her through some rough patches with her gymnastics… she was having some problems, so I gave her a hand… helped her out. I watched her do some amazing things, she really grew on me. After a long while… after I tried to step back … I kissed her again… and it was perfect. Look, I've never met anyone like her, and she's perfect. She's not the typical rock girl in any sense. It's complicated. You know, if you were here, you would understand." Damon sighed once he gave a recollection to his friend… he was ready for the fire he was going to have to deal with.

"No, bro I wouldn't understand. You wanna know why? It's because that would be me with her… not you. You would have never been at the Pizza Shack and you would have only met her that once… at the kegger. I mean, seriously, I asked you to watch out for her… not fall for her. Can't you see that she isn't your type of girl?"

"Hold on a sec buddy, how do you know she isn't _my_ type of girl? Dude, you are too self righteous. What if _you_ aren't her type of guy?"

"I'm serious, Damon. You have never been able to be steady with any girl. You break their hearts. I won't let you do that to Emily too."

"You know what, Razor… you're right. You told me to watch out for her, and while I was doing that, and making sure she was ok and wasn't going to move again, I fell for her… I fell for her big time. Razor, I love her and I want to give this a shot. Can't you just let it happen? If it wasn't meant to be, then it wasn't meant to be. Afterwards, if she hooks up with you, I can't complain." Damon took a deep breath and sighed. That thought made his stomach turn and every muscle in his body tighten. "Look, I will respect her with all the respect I have ever had for a person… even more so than ever. You want to know why? It's because I truly care about her. She means the world to me."

Razor stepped back and shook his head. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. His best friend took his girl… the girl he had clearly claimed… or so he thought. He was so dumb for believing Damon. "Whatever man, do what you want. We're through."

"I'm sorry Razor, I didn't mean for this to happen… but at the same time, I can't say I'm disappointed or that I regret this situation. I love Emily Kmetko, and I think there is something special."

"You know, I don't want to hear it, Damon. I just want you to leave. Get it? It's over… we are over… I can't deal with this right now."

"Razor, I don't want to see you like this. You are my best friend. I'm sorry this happened, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't care for her… and that I'd rather let you have her, because I can't say that. Razor, come on… we've known each other for so long… I might be an arrogant ass, but can't you understand me this time? I tried hard to convince myself and Kmetko that she didn't need me. I'm serious when I say that. Can't you believe me?"

Razor looked down at his palms. They were sweaty from his anger and anxiety. His hands were cold from the disappointment and betrayal he felt in his heart. At the same time, he knew he had to move forward… he had to let Damon take this risk, whether for better or for worse, he needed to let go of both Emily and Damon. They needed to write their life together, and he needed to believe in Damon. He saw something special that night… on the motorcycle all through dinner… he realized he was out of his league. Now he needed to let Damon know that. "There is something special between you guys… some sort of bond… probably unbreakable, and if you mess it up… I won't ever forgive you." With that, Razor gave his stamp of approval to his best friend and realized it was time he moved on. He wanted his friend to be happy, and if Damon and Emily were meant to be, then he was meant for someone else… and he would wait for that girl. He headed toward his car with curiosity flowing through him. Little did he know that the girl he was meant for was heading over in a couple of days.

….

A week past by, and things seemed a lot better. Razor got his old job back, but after two days, the boss at the Pizza Shack called Damon because she really liked his work. So, it was the two boys during the day, and the three of them together after Emily's training. With each day that passed, Emily got closer not only to Damon but Razor as well. She felt more open, and shared little things about her life. She talked more openly about her gymnastics and her friends at the Rock. She explained some of the drama, but once it got too complicated for the guys, they settled down and talked about music. The guys were going to be having a performance in a small café that was just around the corner. It was going to be at 9:00 that Saturday night. Since it was at a café, there wasn't going to be any beer, however people could buy a coffee or hot chocolate; Emily decided to invite Payson, Lauren and Kaylie for a clean night out… something Sasha wouldn't get upset about. She figured that she should invite Lauren just to be polite, but at the same time she was afraid Lauren would ruin her whole fun night out.

"Maybe we should just tell Sasha… let him know that we're going to hang out and relax for one night. I mean, it is Saturday and we will have Sunday off," Kaylie added once the three girls got invited.

"That sounds like a great idea," Payson announced. "At least so that he knows we aren't going to be doing anything bad."

"Yeah," Lauren piped in. "We'll just be drinking away our sorrows with hot chocolates and mochas. Sounds great."

"You don't have to go if you don't want to," Emily replied with an annoyed tone. "Look, let's just tell Sasha and get it over with… but seriously, who cares… it's just a café."

"Well, hey, can I invite Leo and Carter?" Kaylie asked enthusiastically.

"That would be great," Emily replied with a smile. "We could use some guys to accompany us. Maybe we shouldn't tell Sasha that part."

The girls laughed as they returned each to their own torturous practice routines, waiting for the end so they could talk to their oh-so-loving coach.

…

"Sasha, do you have a minute?" Emily was the first to speak as the four girls entered the man's office.

He looked up, slightly confused, but brushed that look away immediately, "Can I help you girls?" he asked, his British accent thick and exotic.

"Well, we were just wondering if you would be opposed to us going to a small gig that our friends are putting on," Emily felt heat rise up to her cheeks as she waited for him to refuse them to go. Since he stayed silent, she continued. "It's in a café not to far from here, and there isn't going to be any alcohol. We just want to support the band. They are my friends, and I was invited. I asked the girls to come with me, but we thought we should ask you and make sure you weren't opposed to this before going."

"Well, you girls have certainly learned from past mistakes," he chuckled. "Are your parents ok with this?"

"We were going to ask them after we got your permission," Payson spoke up. "We figured we needed your ok first, since you were the one who has the most authority right now."

"Girls, I don't own you. I just don't want to see you waist your talent on parties that are going to ruin you and your career," he took in a breath as he rubbed his hands together. "If your parents say you can go, I can't object. I do ask that you be completely honest with them however. You are dismissed."

"Thank you Sasha!" the girls cried out in enthusiasm and excitement before leaving his room.

Sasha chuckled as he turned back to the papers on his desk and began organizing them again. "I should get a secretary," he mumbled to himself before putting the papers in the correct filing folders.

…..

8:50 p.m.

The girls waited in their cars, Leo and Carter pulling into the parking lot right behind them.

"Are we too early?" Emily asked a little nervous as she looked down at her outfit. She wore a dark blue denim jean mini skirt, a metallic blue drape neck shirt and some casual dark blue flip flops from Old Navy; her mom also accessorized her with gold bracelets, and dangling earrings. She turned to Kaylie who wore a bright pink tank top with sparkles across the chest. She also wore her favorite skinny jeans and a plaid black and pink mini skirt over it, and bright pink flip flops which completed the look. She had her hair in a side ponytail that rested on her shoulder, and she wore the blue and gold pendant necklace that Carter gave her. Next in Emily's sight was Lauren who most likely overdressed. She wore a yellow mini dress and a silver belt that lay against her hips; she also had silver jewelry to tie the look together with silver high heeled shoes. Payson surprised everyone. She wore a purple shirt with a tight waistband, a pair of black dress slack and purple flip flops. As accessories, she wore a gold scarf around her waist in a way that it hung loosely, and she wore a purple headband in her slightly curled loose hair.

Leo and Carter both got out of their car, "Are you girls ready? We need to get in and get a spot." Leo made sense, and Emily shook her head to try to focus. This was just going to be a night out to support her friends… the band… the Shelter Pups.

"This is going to be really fun, Kaylie. This is great. I'm glad I could make it," Carter wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's waist and heard Lauren scoff at his movement.

…..

The band played song after song, and everyone in the café cheered. The guys even sang their hit song "The Last Summer," bringing everyone to standing and jumping ovations. The gig was a big success; they even were called for an encore. To Emily's surprise, for the encore, Damon and Razor traded positions… Damon, taking the lead microphone. The song started slowly… almost hesitantly. Music played for a long while before Damon stepped closer to the microphone and started to sing. His voice was smooth and sweet, and didn't match his rock persona.

_My eyes are open wide  
And by the way, I made it  
Through the day  
I watched the world outside  
By the way, I'm leaving out  
Today_

I just saw Hayley's comet  
She waved  
Said why you always running  
In place?  
Even the man in the  
Moon disappeared  
Somewhere in the  
Stratosphere

Soon he kicked into gear and sang more from his throat making Emily shiver… that was the sexiest thing she had ever heard! No one's voice could compare to Damon's and she wondered why he wasn't the lead singer. With each word and each note, she felt him sing from his heart…something rare for bands. She never heard anyone sing the way Damon did… and she lost focus of everyone in the room but him… Damon… the band boy she grew to love.

_Tell my mother,  
Tell my father  
I've done the best I can  
To make them realize  
This is my life  
I hope they understand  
I'm not angry, I'm just saying...  
Sometimes goodbye  
Is a second chance_

Please don't cry  
One tear for me  
I'm not afraid of  
What I have to say  
This is my one and  
Only voice  
So listen close, it's  
Only for today

The song continued, and she followed it all the way until the last note…

_Sometimes goodbye  
Is a second chance…_

Everyone cheered loudly when he held that last note. Damon even dropped to his knees as he sang the last line in a whisper…slowly repeating the lines twice…

_Sometimes goodbye  
Is a second chance…_

After the song, Emily realized she was not only blushing but she was crying as well… she wasn't the only one to notice. In a heartbeat, Damon set his guitar down, jumped off their small stage and headed straight for her. He cupped her face in his hands and leaned his forehead against hers. "What's wrong, babe?" his voice was so soft, no one could hear, but everyone in the room stood silently, watching what would happen next. In the silence of the room, Emily forgot everyone else for the second time that night. She put her hands on his chest, wishing to be closer, "I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me… but your voice was beautiful, you sang so amazingly, I can't believe you don't sing as a lead."

"Don't cry, Kmetko. I'm right here. It's going to be ok now. Just relax and take a deep breath. You can laugh at me and tease me later." He rose an eyebrow to tease her. Emily listened to his words, and focused on taking a deep breath. When she released her breath, she stood up on her tiptoes and gave him a sweet and very intimate kiss… one that would not be easily forgotten. Once she pulled away and realized what just happened, she blushed as she darted out the door, apologizing as she left. Damon followed close behind her, telling her there was nothing to worry about.

….

Razor had to look away when he saw Emily kiss Damon. He still wasn't comfortable with the fact that she was interested in his best friend, but he promised not to complain… instead, he chose not to watch. As his eyes scanned the room, they fell on a blond girl with a very strong face. Her eyes were gentle, but were covered by the strength that seemed to flow through her body. He jumped off their stage, noticing the girls from the kegger that hung around Emily.

"Hey, I'm Razor. You friends of Emily?"

"Yeah," Kaylie replied, still shocked by what just happened.

"That's cool. I guess you are all gymnasts."

"Yeah." Lauren replied slightly annoyed. "Emily's lucky our coach isn't here. We aren't allowed to date, so she would really hear it from him if he saw that kiss."

"Chill out Lauren," Payson spoke, shocking everyone. "Give Emily a break. You've been on her ever since she beat you. Why don't you just accept her skill, and befriend her. Seriously, we have to work together, both on and off the mats. Maybe we should go after her."

"I don't think so," Razor interjected. "Damon's with her. He'll help her calm down. He'll probably play down the whole event and tell her no one saw the kiss. He's weird that way, but if it works, who's complaining, right?"

"Right," Payson agreed. "Let's just go to the counter and get some drinks."

"So, I'm Leo, this is Kaylie, Lauren, Payson, and my friend Carter." Leo introduced everyone, pointing each one of them out.

"Nice to meet all of you," Razor replied as Jasper came by him. "This is Jasper, our band mate and friend."

"Nice to meet you all," Jasper nodded stuffing his hands in his jean pockets. "I wonder what Damon's doing to calm Emily down."

…..

Several minutes later, Emily and Damon walked through the front doors, Emily looking a lot calmer, but still embarrassed. Emily's friends and the band boys sat together at a table with their drinks having small talk about nothing in particular. Damon spotted them and led Emily over to the table. "Did you guys get anything for us?"

"No," Jasper answered. "We didn't know when you'd be back… or even if you would be back," he laughed at the thought and Emily blushed slightly.

"Ok, well, we're gonna get our drinks. See you in a minute."

….

While everyone chatted and hung out together, Razor noticed how simple and plain Payson was. She was polite enough, and she freely expressed her dedication to her gymnastics and how she would not only make it to the Nationals, but was going to beat the girl known as Kelly Parker as well as move on to the Olympics. Her smile was beautiful and even though she was more thrilled about her strength, he could see just how beautiful she really was. Jasper was an interesting character, and Lauren found herself thoroughly annoyed by his attitude. How could the other two guys be good looking and full of talent, but then the other guy was sort of like… the ugly duckling. "How did you meet Damon and Razor? You aren't anything like the other two," Lauren's blunt and rude comment didn't seem to phase Jasper in the least bit, but Leo did give her a stern look.

"Lauren, that's enough."

"Dude, don't worry. I met the guys at school… in band class… other people were making fun of me and teasing me. Damon beat up the guys and Razor asked if I would hang out with them… that's how it all started, and we've been inseparable since."

Payson looked at Razor in awe and Emily laughed at Damon, "You beat people up?"

"He's exaggerating," Damon replied a little embarrassed.

"The more I learn about you, Young, the more I'm intrigued by you." She used the same phrasing he used with her the first night the broke into the gym. It was true though, the more she learned about him, the closer she felt… like there was a great connection… one not easily broken.

"So, now what?" Damon asked reminding her of late night practices…

"You'll have to wait and see."

"What about you, Emily?" Lauren started. "Are you going to start dating… like Kaylie?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't tell me you and band boy aren't interested in each other. That would so be a bold faced lie and you know it."

"Yeah, I like him… and if I could have a boyfriend, he'd be it… but for now, we are sticking with 'friends with benefits'."

Everyone at the table laughed at this as Damon laid his hand on her upper thigh. She could tell he was totally and completely ok with this choice of words as he gave her thigh a gentle squeeze before changing the conversation to one that lasted late into the night.

**I used the song "Second Chance" by Shinedown in this chapter. I hope you all like it! **

**I also mentioned the song "Last Summer" by The Forwards… which was the song the "Shelter Pups" sang at the kegger. (If anyone knows how to spell this word, I'd greatly appreciate that knowledge! Thanks!) **

…..

**Well, I hope this chapter was to everyone's liking! I hope everyone enjoyed the confrontation between the guys. It was a little difficult to write because I haven't seen the two in many conversations, so it was hard to determine how they would react together. Still, I hope it was sufficient and enjoyable for **_**all**_** my readers! **

**FYI: I love the way Razor and his band lip sinked for that song "Last Summer" by the Forwards! Razor had so much energy… it was so believable! I really liked it! When I watched that part… I felt like I was at a real concert! That's really great! Most people **


	3. Chapter 3: Seeing More in You

_So, the next episode ruined my idea for Razor/Payson… so, all my reviewers/readers… please tell me who you all chose: Razor or Nick… if Nick wins, I can try to make it Razor/Lauren… tell me your input! Your comments are appreciated! _

**Chapter 3: Seeing More in You**

The next day, Sunday, Emily woke up early to get ready for her double shift at the Pizza Shack. She was excited to see Damon and Razor, but mostly Damon. She wondered what craziness would be done at work today… there was never a dull moment with Damon around. He could always make her laugh. She looked in the mirror before leaving and wondered what made her feel like she could trust Damon, Razor and Sasha. She didn't do trust very well, but lately she felt like she could really trust these guys. They really did care for her, and she wanted to show them she cared for them.

…

"Hey guys! What's up?" Emily's smile was really bright as she entered the Shack.

"Morning sleeping beauty," Damon chuckled. His eyes brightened the moment he saw her enter the Shack.

"Hey girl! How did you like last night's concert?" Razor asked as he pulled out some dough.

"I thought it was really good! You guys were amazing. So, I do have a question… why doesn't Damon sing more lead parts?"

"He'd rather just play his guitar. I guess after last night that viewpoint is changed. You did get pretty emotional there for a second, Emily."

Emily remembered after the song… Damon was worried about her and rushed to her side. After the kiss that made her extremely embarrassed, she left the café, but Damon followed her to the parking lot. She stopped in front of Kaylie's, and he came up to her to figure out what caused the tears as well as calm her by telling her no one saw them kissing. After the brief conversation, he gently kissed her cheeks and eyelids. It was after that precious moment they went back to the café to rejoin the group.

She blushed slightly as she remembered that night. She remembered how he whispered, "I love you Emily… I sang that song for you… you thought I was a coward… but I have strength because of you."

"Earth to Emily," Razor laughed as he walked over to her and patted her shoulder.

"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking," she muttered as she looked over at Damon. She saw his little smirk and knew that he was remembering that moment as well.

"Hey, so that cute blond…"

"Lauren?" Emily interrupted Razor horrified.

"Hell no! I'm talking about Payson."

"Oh… you almost gave me a heart attack, Razor… but what? You think Payson's cute?"

"Yeah, she's really cool. She's a bit focused on gymnastics, but that's cool… she's got a dream and she's really going for it. That's commendable."

"Cool… why don't you come to a few competitions? You can see her in _her_ world… gymnastics… the vault."

"Maybe I will do that…maybe I will." He smiled as he turned back to making pizzas, "I think I want to get to know her a little bit better. Can you tell me about her? I mean, you know her a lot better than I do."

"Sure," Emily replied. "I'd love to be of assistance."

…

After the double shift at the Shack, Damon walked over to where Emily was cleaning the counters, "Hey, do you want to come over to the apartment? Just to watch a movie and get something to eat. You don't have to stay long if you don't want to."

"Sure, I'll call my mom. Who all is going to be there?"

"Um, me, Razor and Jasper… the band mates and roommates."

"You guys all share a place? That's cool. How long has it been?"

"Since Jasper turned 18… which was about two months ago. I used to live with my mom, but things got complicated, so I decided to bail… and be able to be with the band the whole time. See was sad to see me leave, but is used to it now. Razor's mom was slightly more hesitant. She checked out the apartment and probably did a background check on me and Jasper as well. She's really paranoid."

"Wow… so there is no adult supervision? Hold on, so Jasper's older than the both of you?"

"Yeah… it's Jasper in March, me in July, and Razor in August. He's lucky though because his birthday is like the week before school, so he wouldn't be held back. Crazy timing, huh?"

Yeah, crazy… but yeah, I'll chill out with you guys for a little while. I'll call my mom."

"Cool. I'll meet you at the parking lot… I brought my car this time." With that, Damon turned and left but not before Emily saw his mischievous smirk.

….

Damon pulled into the parking lot and turned to Emily, "Hey, you aren't allergic to cats are you?"

"No, why?"

"Well, we got a couple of cats in the place. The litter is outside, so you won't smell anything. It's a boy and girl, but they are both fixed, so no chance for kittens."

"Cool. Whose are they?"

"They're my cats… both of them."

"Really? That's cool! I would have never guessed."

When they got into the apartment, Emily saw Jasper in the kitchen fixing a chef's salad and subway sandwiches. "So, I guess he is the chef of the group." She laughed since it was ironic that Damon and Razor both make the pizzas.

"Well, you know… we get tired of cooking by the end of the day. Some days we make pizza though… at least I did while Razor was on tour."

"Oh, let's check out your cats," Emily spoke excitedly.

"Well, let me check my room first."

"Nope. I'm going in there now," Emily giggled as she asked Jasper where Damon's room was.

He pointed her in the direction just as Razor walked out of the bathroom with wet hair… he had just gotten out of the shower. "Yeah, I'll hold Damon off. His room is right here."

Emily laughed as she rushed over to the room and opened the door. Damon followed close behind her, picked her up from behind and swung her around as he inspected his room… not too messy… nothing embarrassing out… wait! His picture a few years ago when he wore braces was out! Who put that there? Razor!

Damon set Emily on his bed as he turned around and swiped the picture from his night stand, "Hey wait, what is that? You can't hide it from me." She jumped around him onto his lap and grabbed the frame. She looked at the picture and immediately responded, "Ahh, you were so cute."

"As opposed to now?"

"No, but you looked really cute with braces."

"Ok, enough about my old, dumb pictures, let's check out the cats," Damon replied trying to switch subjects as he pulled the picture away.

"Yeah, let's go check out your cats," Emily agreed as she slid off his lap and noticed how his entire body stiffened at the sensation. She cleared her throat and said, "So, where are they?"

"Oh, here's Twilight," he replied as he got on the floor, and pulled a black cat with pale orange stripes on the legs from under the bed. He picked up the cat and put her on the bed as he informed Emily she was the girl. "Go ahead and pet her; she loves people." Damon then turned to face his closet and sighed as he saw it was partially opened. "I'm sure Midnight, the boy, is in my closet. I should get him out of there."

"Ok," Emily laughed as she sat on his bed and started to pet Twilight. She noticed a small spiral shape on Twilights head, between her ears. It was faded orange and barely noticeable, but it added character to the cat. She heard a few things fall from the closet and saw Damon bent over trying to grab the cat from under where his clothes were hanging. She blushed at the sight and turned around, focusing all her attention on the cat. She couldn't believe she was blushing!

"Ah, here he is… the little devil." Damon half stumbled out of the closet with a fiery orange cat with white paws. Emily stood up so she could see the cat better. Midnight was so cute, and had green eyes that were so wide, almost of fear. "He's a bit more shy than Twilight. He's a scaredy-cat." Damon laughed as he reached the bed and put Midnight by Twilight. Both cats cuddled together and began purring simultaneously. Damon looked up from the cats to Emily's eyes. He tightened and loosened his jaw so he could control himself. He wanted to pull her on his lap and kiss her forever… and only pull away for some breath, but he knew that would make her uncomfortable. She was more trusting towards him, but she still had a long way to go. The only way he could really gain her trust was by going her pace… and staying in the background a little longer. He would let gymnastics come before himself… he would let her chose her life over him, but for now… while he is even a small part of her life, he was going to take it and enjoy it.

The two played with the cats and had small talk… playing 21 Questions was there favorite game when it was just the two of them. They learned so much about each other, and the even devoted several 21 Question games strictly to music… once those 21 questions were over, it was on to gymnastics… Damon was completely lost. This time, they focused on the things they liked, loved and even fantasized (on a G rated scale).

…..

"Dinner's ready!" Jasper called from the kitchen.

When everyone got to the kitchen, Emily saw a wonderful dinner. There were subway sandwiches, a chef's salad, and a pan of lasagna that looked like it was homemade.

"Wow, this all looks so great! You did a great job, Jasper," Emily said as she looked at the food and took in a deep breath.

Damon smiled and put his arm around her shoulders, "Looks like you are going to have to go on a diet… and even practice like five more hours to burn all the calories."

"You'll have to come with me," she responded with a smile.

Everyone laughed as they started to grab their food. "One day of splurging isn't too bad," Emily answered as she grabbed a spoonful of lasagna. Once everyone had their food, they went over to the living room and found the couches. Razor grabbed a movie from the DVD stand near the big screened TV. They all watched the movie, which was ironically Damon's favorite movie: Raise Your Voice. "So, why do you like this movie?" Emily asked as she cuddled to Damon's side. He took a deep breath and smiled as he whispered in her ear, "It's the music… and the world of the musicians that really get me. I'm no too much for the drama, but it was good… the bad thing is… I don't like Hillary Duff."

Emily laughed and shook her head, "That's gotta be rough since she's the main character."

Throughout the whole movie, Damon had his arm around Emily's shoulder and rubbed her arm up and down, slowly, feeling the muscle underneath his fingertips. She was relaxed as she herself was cuddled closely to him. Neither wanted to move, and simply enjoyed each other's company.

…

After the movie, Damon and Emily went back to his room to play with the cats, "You know what Damon? I really didn't see you as a cat person. It's funny, because you are right… the more I know about you… the more I like you and find you intriguing. You are so unique. I'm really lucky to know you… and you mean a lot to me. Like, I don't think I could have as much trust as I do if it weren't for you."

"It's all you Kmetko. You just needed to find out who _you_ are and who you want to be. You surprise me because when I think I've finally got you figured out… you do something to totally blow me away." He leaned closer to her, and moved her hair out of her face. His eyes moved down to glance at her lips before he looked back up at her… he was losing the will power to stay away. He couldn't wait to kiss her again. He couldn't wait to feel her smooth lips against his own, letting him have more control of her than she was used to giving. To his surprise, Emily leaned closer as well. Just before they reached each other's lips, Twilight jumped on Damon's lap and nudged his jaw up enough to where he kissed Emily's cheek. He sighed and pulled away as he muttered, "Dumb cat." He rubbed Twilight's head and she began to purr again and lay on his lap, getting comfortable, and not showing any interest in moving. Emily laughed and said, "Looks like she gets jealous easily."

"Guess so," Damon replied as he looked back at Emily. She smirked and moved quickly, meeting his lips with her moist, soft lips. He reacted to the kiss by putting one hand on the back of her neck in order to pull her closer to him. Emily intertwined her fingers into his short and spiky hair, not letting him control the intensity of their kiss. When they finally pulled away it was just because they needed to get their breath back. Damon used this opportunity to kiss her cheek, down to her jaw line and then he neck. He kept his hand on the back of her neck and put his other hand on one of her hands that were resting on her lap. He finally pulled away, slowly… not wanting to lose the contact, but knowing he was on the edge of going overboard. He looked into her glazed eyes and gently rubbed her cheek with one hand. "Look, sorry if I went too far. Next time, tell me… or you can settle for hitting me. I'll take the hint."

"It's ok. I wanted you to continue… so it's ok. Can you do me a favor though?"

Damon looked at Emily with a smirk and rose an eyebrow as he widened his eyes, "What do you have in mind?"

"Answer the question first."

"Sure, I'll do anything."

"Thanks… then will you…" she looked down at her hands as she was fidgeting with them, "Can you sing for me?" her blush was visible by then. The heat had crept up from her neck and she felt her heart flutter and her stomach did a double summersault. She was ready for rejection when he answered, "Sure… what song?"

"Whichever you want. I'll let you chose."

"Ok, 'We've Got Company' it will be."

Twilight got off his lap and stretched on the bed beside Midnight who was on the pillows. Damon turned to face Emily, held both of her hands in his and smiled. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Enjoy the show."

With that, he stood up and grabbed his guitar. He sat back on the bed and tuned it quickly and began singing…

_Listen closely I think I heard a sound_

_Something's creeping around the corner_

_I went snooping I took a glance around_

_And countless secrets were all I found_

_Look back and what do I see_

_We've got company_

_Oh no, oh how can this be_

_We've got company_

_You tried to hide it from me_

_We've got company _

_Oh and who could it be_

_We've got_

_Danger, danger, I stumbled in too deep_

_Constant questions wont let my mind sleep_

_I took you, test you, you don't know I know_

_Watch your step, you're tangling, tangling_

Damon looked from his guitar to Emily's eyes and focused on the emotion. She was extremely happy as she watched him play his guitar and sing his song. She couldn't even imagine a better date.

_Look back and what do I see_

_We've got company_

_Oh no, oh how can this be_

_We've got company_

_You tried to hide it from me_

_We've got company _

_Oh and who could it be_

_We've got_

_All of this time I've been living in a lie_

_Such a bittersweet disguise_

_A beautiful disguise_

_Look back and what do I see_

_We've got company_

_Oh no, oh how can this be_

_We've got company_

_You tried to hide it, but we're gonna find it_

_And I cannot believe_

_We've got we've got_

_We've got company_

_We've got company_

When he finished she wiped away the stray tear that escaped her eyes, "This must be getting old, huh Damon. The tears and all."

"Not at all Kmetko. Not at all."

Damon put his guitar on the side of the bed and set his hands on her lap. "Emily, you have given me so much happiness. I'm not going to lie, it's been a rough ride, and I'm sure there'll be many more struggles, but I really appreciate being friends with you."

"Friends _with benefits_, Damon," Emily corrected. "You really have helped me out too. I think I'm finally learning to trust… which is a big deal for Sasha."

"Glad to be of service, Kmetko."

…..

"Can we ride your bike when you take me home?" Emily asked as they exited his apartment. Emily learned to love the motorcycle rides Damon would give her. Whether it was to the gym, to work, or back to her apartment, the thrill was always a companion.

"Sure, I don't mind at all," Damon replied as they hopped on his bike and sped off to her apartment.

As the engine's roar was silenced, Emily hopped off the bike and looked to her front door. The light in the living room was on, so she knew her mom was up waiting for her. She smiled and turned to Damon as she removed the helmet, "Thanks for the ride."

"You're welcome, Emily. Call me anytime." Damon turned to look at the living room window, "Hey, Kmetko, wanna give your mom a show?"

"What do you mean?"

"I bet she's watching."

"And?"

"Just come here," Damon motioned as he sat on his motorcycle.

Emily walked over toward Damon as he spread his legs just enough for her to stand between. He rested both hands on her hips and let his lips curl into a mischievous smirk. Emily understood then what Damon wanted to do. She had gone this far, so her only option was to comply with his wishes. She slowly lowered her head…inch by inch…almost to the point of teasing Damon. He unconsciously licked his lips in anticipation as he straightened himself up. He tugged gently on her hips as she leaned forward, touching his nose with her own. Damon rubbed their noses together giving her chills before tilting his chin and brushing her lips with his.

From that moment, the kiss deepened…became more passionate…making Emily's stomach twist. After a few minutes of passionate kissing, Damon pulled away slowly and made his way to her neck. He let his lips brush her cheeks and jawline softly, but as his lips touched her neck he nibbled gently…not enough to leave a mark…yet enough to make the sensation spill over.

Emily's knees buckled, but Damon held her steady with his grip on her waist. He made his way back to her jawline with several more kisses, and then pulled away with a smirk still planted on his face, "That should be enough of a show for your mom… and maybe enough to keep you company for the whole night."

Damon stood and winked at Emily as he slipped one arm around her waist to keep her steady as he walked her to her front door.

**AN: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I loved writing it! Reminder: Vote for who Payson should get together with… Gymnast Nick! Or Rock Star Razor! The choice is yours! So all who care, take a moment to vote! Thanks! **

**So, in this chapter I changed the song from "I Won't Stand Alone" by Johnny Pacar to "We've Got Company" by Civalias. Sorry to the readers for the change, but I think I know where my story is going… so I had to change the song. I hope you still like it! I thought this was a great replacement! **


	4. Chapter 4: Facing the Music

**Chapter 4: Facing the Music:**

At the gym, Emily watched as Kaylie worked on her floor routine. The twists, flips and flamboyant moves made the hair on her arms stand straight. How could Kaylie make the floor routine look so easy? It's like each girl had a talent: Kaylie on the floor, Lauren on the beam, and Payson… who was good at everything was the best at the vault.

Emily couldn't believe that Sasha was changing her entire routine. In order to get it all figured out, she decided to ask Kaylie for help. After deciding this, Emily walked over to Kaylie, who was now standing by the water and getting a drink, "Hey Kaylie,"

"Hey Em. What's up?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you could help me with my floor routine. I know it's getting closer to Nationals and you need to focus on your own routines, but Sasha changed my entire floor routine and I was wondering if you could help."

"Yeah, sure. I'll be free from 5:00 to 8:00 every night this week. My dad would be thrilled that I'll be working late. Of course he won't think I'm helping someone else, but I can do it. Are you free?"

"I'll see if Damon can cover for me."

"Ok, well call me to make sure. I'll ask Sasha if it's ok to stay late. He might want to stay and help." Kaylie smiled at the thought. "If only he didn't get annoying adding more stress on top of everything else."

"I hear you," Emily replied. "Thanks a lot, Kaylie. We'll shoot for today and the rest of the week."

"No problem, Em. Good luck."

…

Nick finished his exhausting floor routine, filled with flips and strength draining hand stands, and headed over toward the vault. He watched as Payson stretched her arms and back as she waited in line for the vault. There were a few boys and girls in front of Payson, but she used the wait to warm up and loosen up her muscles.

"Hey Payson, are you excited for Nationals?" Nick asked as he walked behind her.

"Of course I'm excited!" she smiled brightly. "You're honestly the first person who didn't ask me if I was nervous."

"Why would I ask that? You are the strongest girl in the gym. You'll do great. I know it."

"Thanks. You're going to do great too. You seem to have gotten stronger."

"You've been watching?" he seemed a little smug by the knowledge, but that feeling was short lived.

"Only when I was getting a drink of water," Payson replied. She lied and she knew it…but Nick didn't have to know.

"Well, that's better than never I guess," he replied with a smirk, not showing his disappointment.

…

At the Shack, Razor handed Damon a pile of pizza boxes, "I'm really intrigued about Payson."

"Why?" Damon asked curiously as he set the boxes in their own piles.

"She seems amazing," he replied simply.

Wanting more, Damon pushed a little further, "You don't even know her. How is she 'amazing'?"

"I'll get to know her, but as for now, I think she's amazing." Razor laughed. "Ok, so I know she's not perfect, but you have to agree with me Damon, she is amazing."

"You already found fault with her?" Damon asked a little skeptical. He waited for Razor's response because he had become interested in the conversation and wanted to listen.

"Well, she seems a little serious… like she doesn't know how to relax and just have fun. She's got her guard up for some reason. I don't know why though. I think it's because she's scared. She doesn't want to lose control of herself, or her power. She wants to control her gymnastics, because that's the only area in her life that is truly hers." Razor shook his ahead, "I could be dead wrong, but that's how I see it."

Damon was surprised by this insight from Razor. He really seemed like he could read Payson. They might actually have a chance… if she was even interested… which would be the tough part.

"Well, maybe we can go to Boston… and watch the girls at Nationals. You know, cheer them on."

"That's a great idea, Damon. Maybe we could even have a few gigs… and get a different audience."

"Sounds like a plan," Damon whispered more to himself in satisfaction. He was going to be there for Emily. He was getting a second chance to watch her perform, to be in her world without being a distraction.

…..

After practice, Nick walked over to Payson, "Hey, do you want to get a bite to eat?"

"Let me ask my mom, but if she says yes, sure." Payson pulled up her gym bag over her shoulder and headed upstairs to her mother's office; Nick followed close behind.

"Give me about five minutes, Payson. I have one more phone call to make."

"Actually, mom, I was wondering if I could get a bite to eat with Nick."

Kim looked up quickly and a smile spread across her face as she spotted Nick beside Payson. "Sure you can go, Payson. Do you need any money?"

"No, ma'am," Nick interjected. "I invited her, so I'll be paying for the meal."

"That's very nice, Nick, but you don't have to," Kim replied.

"I know, but I want to."

"Well, that's very sweet of you. Where are you going?"

Payson was blushing slightly from the conversation. Nick seemed to be such a gentleman.

"I was hoping to go to the Olive Garden." He turned to Payson, "Does that sound good to you?"

Payson looked from her mom to Nick and stuttered, "I… uh… well… sure. That sounds great."

Kim smiled at the two, "Well, go have fun. I'll be at home if you need anything."

"Thank you ma'am."

"See you later mom."

"You can call me 'Kim,'" she replied after Nick as he was leading Payson out.

He nodded and continued, "See you later, Kim."

….

Emily walked through the front doors of the Pizza Shack. It was 3:00 in the afternoon, so Damon and Razor were cleaning up from the lunch rush hour. "How's the fort?"

"It's going great… well, now that you've shown up," Damon joked.

"I have a favor to ask," Emily spoke as she walked around the corner. "Can you guys cover for me this week? Kaylie said she'd be willing to help me out this week from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. with my floor routine. Is it possible for you guys to cover for me? I'll pay you guys back after Nationals."

Damon shook his head as he walked toward Emily. He rested both hands on her shoulders, "Look, Emily… all you have to do to pay me back for covering for you… is to get a spot at Nationals… doesn't even have to be a medal… but that would be like paying overtime."

Emily's eyes watered for a moment, but Damon wiped them away quickly, "Go back to practice. Fulfill your dream in becoming an Olympic _gold_ medalist."

Emily smiled and nodded as she turned and ran out the door.

"You should make her pay you back."

"No… wait, what do you mean?"

"She should have to make it up to you with dates… and _kisses_," Razor laughed loudly.

Damon smirked mischievously, "Hmm, this could be a better deal that I expected." Both guys laughed as they turned to complete their work.

…

Nick pulled into the Olive Garden parking lot. Both he and Payson wore their sweat pants and Rocky Mountain jackets over their gym outfits. Payson also let her hair out of the tight bun that was immoveable throughout her entire practice.

After being seated and getting the menu, Nick decided to try out some small talk, "So other than gymnastics, what do you like to do?"

"Nothing really. Gymnastics has always been my dream, and right now I'm so focused on getting on the Olympics team, I can't thing of anything else really." Payson took a moment to think before continuing, "I used to like to go to the movies with Becca or ride horses with her too, but I haven't done either of those in forever."

"Wow, you really are dedicated. That's pretty cool." Nick smiled at Payson just as the waiter showed up.

"Are you ready to order?" he asked as he placed the 2 waters on the table.

"Yes sir," Nick replied as he looked over at Payson.

She took the cue and ordered first, "I'll have a Venetian Apricot Chicken."

"Make that two," Nick replied.

The waiter smiled and nodded as he wrote down the order.

Nick and Payson had small talk, talking about their family, previous homes, and sacrifices made to keep their gymnastics dream alive.

"You are so lucky your parents let you take cortisone as often as you need it."

"Well, since my dad's a doctor, he sees there are no long term side effects as long as I continue to rest my body."

"I wish my parents would understand. Sometimes I think they see it more like a game… like I'm still a child."

"Once you get to Nationals, and the Olympics team, I'm sure that'll change."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, Payson, I do."

"I hope so."

….

At the gym, Kaylie watched Emily do her complete floor routine without any interruptions so she could see what needed the most work. She took notes from the facial expressions, to the motion, to the technique, to the height of her flips to the landings. There was a lot of strong points for Emily, but still, there was much she needed help with. The big problem came from her discomfort and lack of confidence in the routine.

She noticed after each of Emily's big flips, she would lose her footing, which could definitely cost her important points. Her pirouettes looked decent, but could still use some more work. All in all, Emily looked awkward and uncomfortable.

"Look, Emily, you need to stick your landings. Focus on the end of your full-in, back-out and your back handsprings, visualize your landings, and execute! Also, remember to bend your knees ever so slightly, which should help you stick the landings more efficiently."

Emily nodded and ran her fingers through her hair as Kaylie looked down at her notebook, "Oh yeah, another thing you need to focus on is timing. During the chorus of the song, you speed up your motions… slow down just a beat and it will look so much better and will better match the music."

"Ok," Emily answered as she pulled her hair back out of her face.

Kaylie took a moment and continued, "Let's try something. I'll count your moves so you can see when you need to take each step. Whenever I clap my hands together, that's the signal for your jumps and flips, ok?"

"Ok, let's try that," the gymnast replied as she got into position, while Kaylie started the music from the beginning again.

…..

On the walk back to the car, Nick took hold of Payson's hand. She tensed at first, but tried to relax. After dinner, the two wandered aimlessly downtown. It was getting dark and Payson wondered if her mom was worried at all.

"I had a lot of fun, Payson. We should do this again sometime."

"I don't know, Nick. It was fun, don't get me wrong, but- -"

He gave her a gentle kiss that lasted a few seconds so he could stop her from completing her sentence. When he pulled away, he looked down and explained, "Don't finish the sentence until we are at your front door. I don't want to make the ride awkward."

"Fair enough," Payson whispered as she felt the heat rise in her cheeks. He kissed her! Nick just gave Payson her very first kiss!

The ride back to her house was silent beginning to make the ride awkward, so Nick turned on the radio to ease the tension. It surprised Payson when she heard, "The Last Summer" playing. She smiled at the thought of the kegger and then the café. Surprisingly, she had fun both times, but it was because of the band. They were so energetic and carefree. She liked that and sometimes yearned for it.

Nick pulled into the driveway and walked around the car to Payson's side. He opened the door, and they walked to the front door together. When they got to the door, they turned to each other. Nick took hold of both of her hands, "I know the Rock rules… how you aren't allowed to date. I respect that, and I'll live with that, but can I at least say we are friends?"

"Friends sounds great, Nick. I'm sure we can grow close that way."

"Thanks," Nick replied with a genuine smile. He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead; afterwards, he headed for his car. He waited for her to enter her house before he backed out and headed home.

…..

After a long night of practice, Emily and Kaylie left the gym, Emily being a little more confident. Emily thanked Kaylie for staying late to help her and Kaylie explained it was no real big deal. She liked gymnastics mostly when it was just doing it… without any coach or father to take the fun out of the sport. "Don't worry; it really is no big deal. I'd do this any day."

Kaylie gave Emily a ride home since it was already so late, "There's no way I'd let you walk home alone this late at night."

"Thanks again, Kaylie."

"Like I said, Em, it's not big deal. I enjoyed it. It was a lot of fun to be the coach this time." Both girls laughed at this as they pulled into the parking area for the apartments.

"See you tomorrow!" Kaylie called out her window as Emily opened her front door.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow!" Emily called back as she waved to her friend.

….

A few hours after she got home, Payson was showered and her homework was complete. (Being homeschooled took a lot of discipline…something Payson had a lot of.) She was restless, however, because her mind kept replaying her time with Nick. The experience felt right, but for some unknown reason, Payson felt like it was also wrong. She couldn't explain it, but she knew it didn't have anything to do with the Rock rules; it had something to do with her… even though she wasn't sure what the matter was.

In order to clear her head, she decided to go for a walk in the park. She didn't want her mom to ask her any questions, so she waited until half past midnight before she left. She put on her red Rock jacket over her white tank top, and pulled on some black flip flops that were partially covered by her grey and white American Eagle 77 sweat pants. She grabbed her keys and stuck them in her pocket in case she would need them along with a can of pepper spray (her dad taught her to never leave home without it!) Finally, she snuck out of her window and headed to the park, hoping the stars would give her some form of guidance.

Once she got to the park, she saw a boy not much older than herself on the stone wall. He seemed to be hunched over something; she soon realized it was a guitar when he finally strummed a simple chord. She got closer, curious to hear something more. She heard him singing and realized it was Razor. She didn't want to scare him or bother him, but as she turned to walk away, she stepped on a stick, causing it to break and make a loud enough sound to make the musician turn his head.

Payson sighed as she turned to meet his gaze, "Sorry, I didn't want to disturb you."

Razor sat motionless for a moment… he was looking at an angel. Her blond hair and pale skin shined in the moonlight and her aura showed she was strong and unafraid of the world… just as he last remembered her. "No, it's cool. You can sit if you want," he finally managed to get out.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Payson walked over towards the older teen and sat on the wall close to him. She sighed deeply and slouched over.

"What's wrong?" Razor inquired.

"Oh, I don't know. Life's just complicated I guess."

"Being a gymnast that tough?"

"Yeah, I guess it is. Should it be, though?"

"I don't know… maybe." Razor thought for a moment, "Maybe we should check it out. Come with me." He grabbed her arm and jumped off the wall. In one hand, he held on to Payson's hand, and with the other, he held his guitar.

He led her through the streets to an area that had a strip of stores, and continued to walk until they reached a spot that had a black and green striped door. He opened the door and they entered in, filling their lungs with smoke… he took her to a club! She saw girls dancing in shiny short gold and silver dresses and five inch stilettos. She saw guys dirty dancing or just grinding with these girls and other girls who wore tight jeans or micro mini skirts.

"What are we doing here?"

"Learning a life lesson. Come on."

Razor dragged her to a corner that was the least occupied. He set his guitar down and grabbed both of her hands in his. Keeping a comfortable amount of space between them, Razor started dancing, telling Payson to do the same, "Come on, follow my lead."

"Are you crazy, Razor?"

"Yeah," he chuckled. "Let yourself go. Be free! It's healthy to unwind and just go crazy. Gymnastics make you stiff and controlled… very disciplined… even keeping a lot of your emotions in check. Here, you can _anything_ and no one will judge you." he had to lean closer to her ear so she could hear him over the blaring music and pounding base.

Payson took into consideration what Razor just said. _Should she really let herself go? Would it jeopardize the control she trained herself for her whole life to have? Would it make her weak? Maybe it could help her… make her stronger… what should she do?_ Many things crossed her mind and she finally concluded that she could relax just a little every once in awhile… like at the fashion show with her mom. Slowly, she began to loosen up… started dancing… started laughing.

Several songs passed and the two danced crazy… uncaring of what others thought… it was like they were in their own world. Finally, Razor stopped and gave Payson a huge, heart warming hug. "Great job, Payson. You did great! Now we should get you back home… to bed… so you can get ready for practice tomorrow."

Payson nodded in agreement as Razor turned, grabbed his guitar and led Payson once again through the crowd, this time to get to the door. Once they arrived back at the park, Razor turned to Payson, "Can I walk you the rest of the way home?"

"Sure…um, I snuck out, but you can lead me to the window."

Razor chuckled, "Why'd you sneak out?"

"A guy from the gym asked me to dinner…afterwards he kissed me…it just felt wrong. So, when we got to my house, I told him I only wanted to be friends. He seemed to understand…at least I hope he did. I continued to feel weird even after a shower and some homework, so I waited for everyone to go to bed, and then snuck out for a walk in the park. I guess I wanted the stars to speak to me…but I guess they just led me to you."

"Was it your first kiss?"

"Yeah, it sure was."

"So, did he steal it from you, or did you offer?"

I guess he kinda stole it. It didn't feel right though…it didn't even feel real for that matter. Is that weird?"

"Not at all. You're just waiting for the perfect opportunity. You'll deny any other kiss." Razor winked at her and smiled.

The rest of the walk was silent, up until they got to the window.

"Here is it," Payson whispered.

"I hope tonight was enjoyable for you. I sure had fun."

"Yeah, it was great. Maybe some other time."

"Deal." Razor looked down. "Hey, if you need to call me…"

"Hold on, let me grab my phone." Payson pulled her phone out of her pocket and pushed a few buttons. "Ok, I'm ready."

Razor gave her his number and she gave him hers. "Thanks, Razor," Payson replied as she typed his name in her phone. Once she finished she put her phone back in her pocket, opened the window, and climbed back inside her room. She turned to wave goodbye and he nodded as he started to slowly back away.

"Wait," she whispered, surprising herself.

He walked forward in confusion, "Yeah?"

"I'll see you tomorrow, same time?"

"Sure," he was smiling again.

"Ok," she looked away for a moment, then leaned out the window and gave him a super quick kiss on his cheek before pulling away and waving as she closed the window.

Razor smiled and waved in return. He noticed she was blushing, and thought that was real cute. He smiled wider, then turned and ran back to the park to get to his car. Once in his car, he turned on the radio… and his new song played:

_She's cold and she's cruel  
But she knows what she's doin'  
She pushed me in the pool  
At our last school reunion  
She laughs at my dreams  
But I dream about her laughter  
Strange as it seems  
She's the one I'm after_

Cause she's bittersweet  
She knocks me off of my feet  
And I can't help myself  
I don't want anyone else  
She's a mystery  
She's too much for me  
But I keep comin' back for more  
She's just the girl I'm lookin' for

She can't keep a secret  
For more than an hour  
She runs on 100 proof attitude power  
And the more she ignores me  
The more I adore her  
What can I do?  
I'd do anything for her

Cause she's bittersweet  
She knocks me off of my feet  
And I can't help myself  
I don't want anyone else  
She's a mystery  
She's too much for me  
But I keep comin' back for more  
She's just the girl I'm lookin' for

The way she sees it's me  
On her caller ID  
She won't pick up the phone  
She'd rather be alone  
But I can't give up just yet  
Cause every word she's ever said  
Is still ringin' in my head  
Still ringin' in my head

She's cold and she's cruel  
But she knows what she's doin'  
Knows just what to say  
So my whole day is ruined

Cause she's bittersweet  
She knocks me off of my feet  
And I can't help myself  
I don't want anyone else  
She's a mystery  
She's too much for me  
But I keep comin' back for more

Cause she's bittersweet  
She knocks me off of my feet  
And I can't help myself  
I don't want anyone else  
She's a mystery  
She's too much for me  
But I keep comin' back for more  
Oh, I keep comin' back for more  
She's just the girl I'm lookin' for  
Just the girl I'm lookin' for

I'm lookin' for  
I'm lookin' for  
I'm lookin' for  
Just the girl I'm lookin' for

…

**A/N: I wrote a Payson/Nick for the fans who voted for that pairing! **

**When all was counted, the Razor/Payson fans won out… so I will be writing that pairing! Plus after awhile of Nick not coming back to the show, this seemed best. Razor could show her some fun! **

**I hope everyone likes it! And I want to thank everyone for voting and reviewing! I also appreciate the time you took in reading and reviewing! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for your patience as well! School can be brutal! lol. **

**The song is: "Just the Girl" by Click Five! **


	5. Chapter 5: Living a Nightmare

**Chapter 5: Living a Nightmare**

It had been several months since the night that has captured Emily's mind. That night, Emily and Damon became as one. A simple kiss at the Shack turned into much more. Both lost focus…or so she thought at first. After thinking back on that night, she realized that he gave her a way out…

"Tell me to stop, Kmetko," Damon whispered against her lips between kisses. "I can't stop…or gain control…until you say the word."

It was too late, however. Emily had lost all control of logic because of the emotion that burst out from inside her. She was blinded by her love and lust for this special friend…her friend with benefits had become even more intoxicating…too much to bear. With the emotion that intensified with each kiss, she wasn't able to give him the way out he asked for… the way he asked because of his love for her. Instead, she pulled him closer to deepen the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. She vaguely remembered him asking if she was sure…if she was ready…which she only answered with a stronger embrace.

That night was like heaven to her. It was beautiful…perfect…all she could ever want. She was with the guy she dreamed about… she was, for once, mixing up her peanut butter with her chocolate. She let her logic go out the door. She only cared about making Damon happy and enjoying their experience together. The night was beyond special, it was the most amazing experience. Damon was more loving and more romantic than he had been from the moment she met him. He showed his vulnerability in his own efforts to please her, make their love more special than everything in the world.

The next day, she paid for her actions of losing her logic and her mental control…she went through hell. At practice, she had to deal with the constant attacks from Sasha of how she was messing up, being inconsistent, and wasn't even good enough to be there. He constantly tormented her, "Emily, you aren't stiff enough," "Land straighter," "Put some fire behind the moves," "Get your head back into the game, Emily!"

It was to the point that Lauren came up to her during a quick water break, "What's up Em? Sasha's never been this harsh on any of us? You aren't doing _that_ bad."

"Thanks Lauren, but I don't know why he's nagging me so much. It's making me lose focus."

"Emily, get back on the vault. Do your routine, now!" Sasha ordered from the top of the stairs.

Emily nodded and ran over to the vault to start her routine.

…

Payson and Kaylie looked sad by how harsh Emily was being treated and tried to ask Sasha, but his only reply was, "Focus on your own routines. Emily needs to up the bar. She has been slacking off and not putting her whole heart into her gymnastics. She is now paying for that mistake."

After a whole practice of dealing with his snide remarks, Emily decided to confront him. She had reached the peak of her anger and she had to rush to the locker room to let a few angry tears escape her before composing herself and heading over to his office. After everyone left the gym, she walked up the stairs and asked, "Sasha, have I done something to offend you?"

"Actually, I'm glad you're here, Emily. It saves me from a phone call."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Emily asked both irritated and confused. She crossed her arms and waited for him to explain.

"You're not going to be a gymnast at the Rock anymore. You have both disappointed and disobeyed me for the last time."

"What?" Emily was shocked. "What do you mean? What did I do?" She now walked up to his desk for clarification. All color left her face, making her paler than ever. She dropped her hands from across her chest and rested them on his desk as she leaned closer for clarification.

"Emily, let me break this down for you. The first time you disobeyed and disappointed me was when you went to that kegger. You promised not to do it again while giving me a great sob story of how much you needed gymnastics. After punishing your actions, I accepted your apologies. I gave you a second chance, which you took advantage of by disobeying me when I told you _not_ to do your landing, but change it to something I knew would get us to win, something less risky. I kicked you out of the gym, hoping you would learn to trust me and see that I was here to help you…that I am here to make you reach your goal of being an Olympic gymnast. After you beg and finally prove yourself, I bring you back…hoping you had fallen for the last time. You had been going strong, and I wanted to commend you on just how much you had grown since that one competition. Now, you mess up for the final time, by having a job, but you don't stop there. You get into a relationship with a guy as well… as if gymnastics wasn't enough to satisfy you. Now, I'm done giving you chances. I am done taking you back and believing your words and empty promises. Your career as a gymnast is over here at the Rock."

Emily felt sick. She couldn't believe her ears…she couldn't even speak. She felt like vomiting…no, she felt worse… she felt like dying. How could her life go from heavenly beauty one night to complete hellish torture the next? "How did you- -" she couldn't bring herself to complete the thought. Part of her didn't want to know.

"I went for a jog, Emily… as innocent as that." Sasha shook his head in anger and disappointment. "I was getting tired, so I slowed to a stop, and I happened to be in front of a Pizza Shack. I noticed the lights were still on so I got curious. It was late, and it seemed like it was closed. There was only one car, and I wondered if someone needed help. When I walked up to the door, however, I saw no one needed _my_ help. I saw a girl, like any other teenager getting laid… at her work place. I noticed the shirts on the chair. The girl seemed to be enjoying herself thoroughly… like she finally got what she wanted in life. I just hope it was all worth it for her. I hope she realized there would be consequences before she followed through with her _desires_," he finished in disgust.

Emily was frozen stiff. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't believe Sasha was there, of all people to see her. Her ears were ringing…her heart was pounding… her palms were sweaty. She felt like she was having a panic attack and didn't know what to do next.

"I can't tell you not to live your life like any other girl, Emily. You just can't do it in _my_ gym… not as one of _my_ girls." His tone was final, and his words were words of dismissal. He was sending her away for the very last time.

Emily left the office feeling numb; her body feeling like it wasn't hers to control anymore. She felt like she was out of her body as she walked down the streets and to the Pizza Shack…the place that brought hell upon her most cherished dreams.

…

After work that night, Damon walked up to her, "Emily, are you ok?" During the entire shift, she didn't look at him or talk to him. She seemed cold to all who entered the Shack and at the same time, seemed as if she had no idea where she was.

"I'm fine," she shot back coldly.

Damon stepped back and rose an eyebrow, "Well, you don't sound fine."

"Damon," she spoke as she turned around. "It's over." Her face was pale and her hands were clenched… her jaw set. "We're over."

Damon didn't move.

"I can't do this anymore," she continued.

"Why, Emily? What happened?" Damon tried his hardest to remain calm… he tried to control his sadness and concern.

"_You_ happened, Damon. I was doing fine before you showed up…before you made me feel things…before last night ever happened!" she was yelling by this time. She wasn't done yet. "It's your fault. It's _ALL_ YOUR FAULT!"

"Hold on, Emily. What did I do?" Damon asked getting annoyed. Anytime Emily opened up to him, she ended up blaming him. He should've known last night wouldn't have been any different. He walked up to Emily and put his hands on her shoulders, "What did I do _this_ time?"

"You had sex with me! Sasha found out that I was with you _and_ that I have a job, so he kicked me out of the gym...again…for the last time! It's over!"

Damon was shocked at her answer. He felt so bad for Emily. He wanted to comfort her; let her know he still cared. He reached down and gave her a hug. Instead of accepting his comfort and leaning against him, she pushed him away and slapped him across the face as hard as she could. She felt pain shoot through her hand, causing her to realize what she had just done. She saw his jaw set as he regained control of his emotions. "Damon," she whispered, but it was too late. He turned his head back from the impact and looked straight into her eyes for the last time. His eyes were dark… empty. He shook his head slowly and backed away. Without another word, he grabbed his leather jacked and walked out the door. There was no anger in his eyes or movement…just sadness and pain. Not even physical pain… but rather emotional and mental. As he walked out of her life, he didn't even slam the door…he just walked out as if it were any other day…like he would walk back tomorrow.

The next several months went like a blur. Emily lived in her own hell, and isolated herself from the world, lucky that her mom's job was doing well. She quit working at the Pizza Shack the night of the fight, and she tried to work at the nail salon but the smell made her sick. Eight months had passed and she still couldn't forget Damon and the two nights: one equaling the best night of her life, and the next equaling the worst.

The small bump in her belly moved and she realized the regret she held for both nights. To her, they were both the same... causing her the same grief and pain… she finally understood what Dante had to go through in his journey through hell. She wished she didn't make love to Damon Young, and she also wished she never hurt him. Her only conclusion was…_she wished she never knew Damon_.

Suddenly, pain shot through her body. She screamed from the pain, causing Brian to rush out of his room as fast as possible. He wheeled over to her bed as fast as possible, "Are you ok?"

Emily closed her eyes and answered, "I think it's time, Brian. Call mom."

Brian nodded and dialed her work number, "Mom, she's going to have the baby! Come home quick!"

With Chloe finally there, Emily got into the car and felt her water break. "Mom!" she screamed again.

"Hang in there, honey," her mom said as she drove as fast as she could to the hospital.

At the hospital, the nurse took Emily to a room and realized the baby was about to come. "Push," the nurse instructed Emily calmly.

"Push, honey, push," Chloe spoke as she held her daughter's hand.

Emily felt extreme pain as she wished her love was with her, she wished Damon was there to see their baby being born. Just then, physical pain flowed through her body once more… just then Emily jumped out of bed.

Her alarm was going off, and she realized she wasn't about to have a baby, but instead, she had a very real and very scary nightmare. She fell back against her pillow and sighed heavily. She put her hands on her stomach; feeling it was as flat as ever, she ran her fingers through her hair and sat up, taking several deep breaths.

…

Even though it was a dream, she felt awful about slapping Damon and yelling at him. She wanted to see him, but she knew she wouldn't be able to because she had late practice. Boston was getting closer with each day… and she didn't have time to do anything but focus on her gymnastics. She headed over to the bathroom to get ready for her morning practice, even though her stomach was knotted up from the nightmare… and the thought of giving birth to a baby at such young an age.

…..

Sasha noticed Emily was having some trouble concentrating throughout all of her routines. This worried him when he saw her go toward the vault. "Uh, Emily, come here. I'd like to have a word."

Emily nodded and headed over to her coach, "Yeah, what do you need?"

"What's wrong?" he asked as he led her to his office, "You're not concentrating. I need you to focus… especially before you get on that vault. What's weighing you down?"

"I just had an awful nightmare last night, and I guess I'm still shaken up."

"Do you want to talk about it? I mean, sure I'm your coach, but I'm here for you if you need to talk."

"Thanks Sasha," Emily responded as she thought back to the night she let him catch her as she fell from the beam. "Well, I can tell you that in my dream, you kicked me out of the Rock again…and I ended up pregnant… and I woke up when I was giving birth… that was pretty crazy.

Sasha looked amazed, "So, being pregnant is a nightmare?"

"For a gymnast…yeah, I guess so."

"Did you know whose child it was?"

"Yeah," Emily looked down embarrassed by the memory of the dream…and the thought of Sasha seeing her with Damon, "Uh, it was one of my friends… they were weird circumstances."

"I guess it was a good think it was a friend." Sasha replied with a slight chuckle. "Well, let's hope you are not pregnant, and as for now you are still training at the Rock. Now, if your mind is clear you can go to the vault, and afterwards, I'd like to see your floor routine."

"Ok, I can do that," Emily replied as she headed to the vault.

…

Practice went on as usual. The four girls trained hard; Kaylie was all smiles, Lauren tried to beat Payson's difficulty level, Payson focused on her strength and endurance, and Emily tried her hardest to fit in.

After a long day of practice, Sasha kept some of the girls, including the top four, to work on strength/resistance training. The girls climbed the ropes several times, switched between push ups and sit ups, jump roped in five minute intervals, and ran around the building several times, as well as many other body toning and sculpting exercises. This training added an extra three hours to their practice. Emily didn't know if she could take much more, but said nothing because she knew what was at stake. She needed to kick ass in Boston for a chance at the Olympics. She needed to train hard, and Sasha was making sure she did. She had to prove to everyone that she was meant to be there, that she was meant to be a "Rock Girl."

"All right girls, we have two more exercises. Everyone will line up and go through the vault four times. Once everyone is finished, I want you all to come to the bars. Is that clear?"

"Yes Sasha," the girls said as they all got into the line at the vault. Each girl went through their routine and after they had all finished their third vault, they could feel their bodies aching. A pain like fire shot through Payson's back causing her to wince as she walked through the line. She tried to stop the pain by stretching and massaging her back as she waited for her turn. After they all finished their last vault, the girls all headed over to the bars, pushing Payson to the front of the line.

"Alright, take a few minutes to stretch out and relax your muscles. Get a good drink of water, but be sure to drink slowly," Sasha instructed.

After taking a fifteen minute break, the girls got back into the line in front of the bars. "Ok, so I want you all to practice your most difficult moves and dismount. You each have a unique routine, and I want you all to become flawless, able to do these routines with your eyes closed. We'll do this for awhile, and as I watch, I'll decide who is done and who needs a little more work."

Each girl did her section of the routine about four times through before he started letting them leave, starting with Payson, "Payson, be sure to ice your back and stretch. Jessica you can go. Tanya you are finished. Kelly great job, get some rest." He let the remaining girls go through their routine one more time, "Ok, Kimberly you can go; Lauren great job, just smile a little more. Jamie, go. Kaylie, great job; be sure to drink plenty of water." Finally, it was only Emily and Sasha. "Emily, I kept you because I want to see your entire routine. Can you do that for me?"

Emily nodded as she chalked up her hands again and headed to the lower bar. "Keep focused, Emily," Sasha warned just before she started off on her routine. The overall routine was difficult. She spent a lot of time in the air and off the bar, giving her more opportunities to mess up and get hurt. Her routine was practically flawless…all the way to her dismount and landing. Sasha could tell she worked really hard on this routine; she was competitive, and he saw that as well as the determination to prove to everyone that she belonged there at the Rock.

"Emily, that routine, I would say, was flawless. I need you to see that. Do you?"

"Yes," Emily replied a little hesitant.

"Don't be hesitant…be confident. You are here because you deserve it…because you care. You have this misconception that you have to prove to the entire world that you belong here at the Rock. The truth is… you only have to prove it to one person: yourself. Now, go home and get some rest. Come back tomorrow full of confidence. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Sasha," she replied. Emily was blushing from embarrassment from his compliment and hoped he didn't notice.

"Sleep well, Emily."

"Good night, Sasha."

….

Emily was walking home when she heard the sound of a familiar motorcycle. Her heart jumped from her chest and blood rushed to her cheeks, making them bright red. She stopped walking on the sidewalk as the lights shined on her before the engine stopped. She turned around and saw the man she had been dying to see. Damon walked up to her and she, being impatient, ran up to him and threw her arms around his neck.

"Oh…ok," Damon half stuttered in surprise. "Are you ok?"

"Perfect, now that you're here."

"Thanks, but what did I do?" he wrapped both of his arms around her waist, and they just stood there…enjoying a loving embrace. Emily rested her head against Damon's chest and moved her arms down around his waist. She listened to his heartbeat, seemingly to have ignored his question. He didn't mind, and just stood there quietly.

"You smell good," she muttered against his shirt. Her warm breath that seeped through his shirt and onto his skin sent shivers down his spine. Several moments passed before they both released each other.

"Hey, let me give you a ride home."

"I don't want to go home now."

"Where do you want to go? It's kinda late."

"I want to be alone with you…just the two of us…alone."

"You better call your mom." Damon pulled out his phone from his pocket and handed it to her.

Emily nooded with a smile and called Chloe to let her know she would be really late because she met up with Damon and wanted to hang out with him for awhile. Chloe was more than accepting, so Emily got off quickly. She handedDamon the phone, but he ignored that and instead, Damon put his arms around Emily's shoulders and stepped closer to her, "So, where are _we_ gonna go?"

Emily thought for a moment, "How about a movie?"

"And a late dinner," Damon finished. "It's a date."

"Great!"

"Now, get on the bike," Damon laughed as he pulled her along with him.

….

At the theatre, Damon put his hands over Emily's eyes, "I get to pick the movie."

"Fine, I'll get the popcorn and a drink."

"We can share a drink…unless you want your own," Damon offered.

"No, sharing is fine," Emily answered as she started to head off.

"Wait, Emily, here's some money."

"Are you sure? I can get it," Emily offered.

"My treat…seriously, this is a date."

"Ok."

…

"So, what movie did you pick?" Emily asked when they both got out of line.

"It's a surprise,"" he replied as he once again put his hands over her eyes. "Just walk forward."

"Ok," Emily replied. If there was one thing Damon Young was teaching her, it would be trust…especially in men. Damon helped her get comfortable with the idea of trust…which came in handy when talking to other guys: Sasha, Leo, Razor, and even Jasper…even if she wasn't romantically interested in any of them. She could still be confident that she could talk to them and not worry about them leaving her behind.

Damon led Emily to the theatre room and removed his hands when there were inside. He grabbed the popcorn and they both found the perfect seats. Emily continued to bother Damon, trying to figure out what movie they were going to watch. "Will you at least give me a hint?"

"Guess."

"Action."

Damon remained quiet.

"Hey, are you going to tell me?"

"I didn't say I would. I just said 'guess.'" I wanted to see what _you_ thought I would pick," Damon was laughing at this point.

"Jerk," Emily said as she pushed his arm.

"Just wait a second," Damon suggested as he pushed up the arm rest that was between them.

He pulled out his phone and put his arm around her, "Let's get a few pictures. Then I'll tell you."

"Fine," Emily replied as she drank some of their Sierra Mist. She sat up and leaned close to Damon as he took a few pictures.

"Hey," Emily thought aloud. "Put your left leg on my seat and turn kinda sideways to get more comfortable."

Damon did as he was asked. He leaned back on his arm rest on his right side, and then rested his left leg on the seat. He put his left arm over his left knee and kept his right foot on the floor. Once he was comfortable, Emily sat in between his legs and leaned back against his chest. She put her left hand on his left hand and used her right hand to take the picture.

"You know," Damon whispered in her ear after the picture, "This is pretty comfortable."

"I know," Emily answered with a smile. "Now, what movie are we watching?"

Damon leaned closer, his warm breath against her ear, "The Ugly Truth." Just then, the commercials started as the lights dimmed. Emily smiled…Damon _tried_ to get a romance…too bad it was rated R…and had a guy's sense of humor and perspective of romance. Damon put the popcorn between Emily's legs and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to his chest. Emily cuddled as she rested her hands on her lover's arms.

Finally… the movie started…

…

A couple of hours later, and after several embarrassing moments passed, everyone was leaving the theatre. Emily was about to get up, but Damon grabbed her waist and pulled her back down as the credits rolled. He guided her to his lap, her knees facing the seats. She turned to look at him and noticed the sparkle in his eyes.

"Are you serious, Damon?"

"Huh, yeah…did you just watch the same movie I did…because right about now I want some sort of action." Damon chuckled as Emily crossed her arms and rose an eyebrow…contemplating to deny his desires.

"It's late, Damon. We should really go. I need to wake up early and I'm really tired." She started to get up as Damon pulled her back down. "Ouch," Damon replied sarcastically, still holding her hips.

"Just kidding," Emily laughed as she got up and straddled over his right leg that was still planted on the floor.

Damon once again pulled her on his lap and pulled her forward to get closer. Emily ran her fingers through his messily spiked hair. She smiled and after she ran her fingers through, she started to massage his neck. They locked eyes and just stared…searching each other's soul…reading the desires that were shared. Emily thought back to her dream and remembered the excitement she felt last night. She was starting to feel that excitement just by looking at the guy she loved.

Damon read that excitement and placed his hands on her cheeks and pulled her for a kiss. It was very passionate from the beginning, like he was letting his own excitement and desires take control. With each second, the kiss deepened. Damon's tongue explored her mouth as Emily moved her tongue against his in a rhythmic motion. He didn't know how much longer he could restrain himself to keep the little control he had. He put his hands on her hips and once again pulled her closed to him, her right knee pressed between his legs.

The lights were turned on unexpectedly, making Emily jump and pull away from the kiss. Both looked around and saw two people cleaning up the place, but didn't touch the row the kissing couple was sitting at.

It was then Damon realized just how close he was to really losing control. If they were kissing a minute longer, there would have been a huge scene… one that he was sure the workers didn't want to see. He snickered as he leaned forward and kissed Emily's check. "Let's get out of here before your mom kills me."

"Yeah, dinner can be a rain check. I really have to get home." Emily was blushing furiously… and stood as she grabbed her purse and gym bag.

….

After Damon dropped Emily back to her apartment, he drove home completely out of focus. As he parked his bike in the garage, he blinked in surprise, not even remembering the ride home.

Once he was inside the house, he saw that Razor's room was dark and so was Jasper's. The two must have gone to sleep awhile ago. So, Damon walked quietly down the hall and into his room. Once there, he jumped on his bed after undressing until he was only in his boxers. He grabbed his iPod as his cats circled around the bed, getting comfortable beside him. He pressed play and zoned off as one of his favorite songs played by Hoobastank:

_**"The Reason"**___

I'm not a perfect person  
There's many things I wish I didn't do  
But I continue learning  
I never meant to do those things to you  
And so I have to say before I go  
That I just want you to know

I've found out a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is you

I'm sorry that I hurt you  
It's something I must live with everyday  
And all the pain I put you through  
I wish that I could take it all away  
And be the one who catches all your tears  
Thats why I need you to hear

I've found out a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is You

and the reason is You [x3]

I'm not a perfect person  
I never meant to do those things to you  
And so I have to say before I go  
That I just want you to know

I've found out a reason for me  
To change who I used to be  
A reason to start over new  
and the reason is you

I've found a reason to show  
A side of me you didn't know  
A reason for all that I do  
And the reason is you

…

**A/N: I hope you all like this chapter! I enjoyed writing another Damon/Emily chapter! The dream/nightmare was such a fun scene to write… I was daydreaming in school and I came up with this scene. I was still writing chapter 4 but I couldn't get the idea out of my head. So, I made it into chapter 5! **

**I finally came up with a direction to go with this story! So, here is an update to the summary! **

"_**From Rock girl to Olympian! Let's follow Emily's journey in the biggest opportunity of her life! Gymnastics, love, friendship, betrayal… and drama! What will happen on the journey for Emily and her friends? How are they all going to deal with Nationals? Will they stick through the drama and become closer than ever?**_


	6. Chapter 6: Dark Secrets of the Past

**Chapter 6: Dark Secrets of the Past**

Damon was looking forward to seeing Emily today. He finally decided that he wanted her to meet his mom. The date was set for tonight-Saturday. After Emily's gymnastics practice, they would work a few hours, then run home to change their clothes and go over to his mom's house for dinner. His mom, Charlie Young, said she would even share some family stories… the only part of the night Damon wasn't too thrilled about. Even so, he would make it work if only to see Emily smile at his expense.

(Saturday night)

Damon and Emily finished their shift at the Pizza Shack and thanked Razor for covering for the rest of the night. They drove over to Emily's place so she could get showered and dressed. Damon dropped her off and said he'd be back in thirty minutes, dressed and ready to head out. Emily nodded and headed inside to get ready herself.

Just as he promised, Damon was back at the Kmetko's apartment thirty minutes later. He had taken a shower, re-gelled and styled his hair, and looked like a rock star supermodel with dark jeans that were tinted copper, and his long sleeved black dress shirt that the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. His accessories included two leather bracelets on his left arm, a silver cross spinner ring on his right ring finger and his necklace that held his lucky guitar pick and other luck charms.

Chloe's jaw dropped slightly when she opened the door… he looked amazing… wait… _was he wearing eyeliner?_ He really pulled it off. He looked great… like a total rock star and she knew Emily would definitely get a twisted stomach.

Emily got out of the bathroom just then, her hair freshly washed, dried and straightened. She wore her pale makeup and bright red lipstick and small hoop earrings. She wore a white cap sleeved shirt, a black half vest and dark denim skinny jeans. Damon was leaning against the living room wall and took a deep breath when he saw her. She looked gorgeous…breathtaking. "Damn," he whispered, making Brian turn to see his sister.

"Wow, Emily," he said, "You look great."

"Thanks Brian," she replied without looking at him. "Do you think Damon will like it? Can you tell me when he gets here?" she dropped her work clothes on her bed and turned to find her black flip flops with silver stones on the straps.

"Um," he cleared his throat, "Well, I think he's…"

"He thinks you're beautiful…gorgeous…hot…well, _perfect_," Damon interrupted.

Emily jumped up and turned around, her eyes wide in surprise. She saw Damon and it was her turn for her jaw to drop. He looked amazing! He was so handsome! "Well, I'm glad Damon would think I picked out the right outfit," I teased as if he wasn't really there.

"Yeah, he would probably be impressed that her clothes match his clothes pretty well," Damon replied as he walked towards her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled as she got up on her tip toes to reach his lips with her own. He leaned his head down and enjoyed the spontaneous kiss his precious girlfriend gave him.

After a short while, they pulled away and Emily turned to grab her black purse. "Are you wearing eyeliner?" he heard the laughter in her voice, even though she tried to conceal it.

"Sure am," he answered as he licked his lips and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pulled her lightly to the door, "We have to go before we're late. Mom will get worried. Trust me when I say 'You don't want her nervous.' It can be just a little scary."

Emily turned to her mom and brother, "Ok, so I'll see you guys later. I bet I'll be late tonight, so don't worry, and you don't have to stay up and wait."

"Oh, honey, go have fun. We won't worry, but please call when you're on your way."

"Ok mom, bye."

"See you, Em. Have a great time," Brian replied as he slid onto the couch and away from his wheelchair.

"Bye Chloe. See you later, Brian," Damon said before he disappeared out the door with Emily… his _rock girl_.

…

In the car, Damon turned to Emily, "I really meant what I said. You truly look amazing."

Emily blushed as she started to link her fingers together. "Well, you look super hot today. You really look like a rock star… and a super model."

"What can I say?" he replied with a wink, "I'm a groupie."

Emily laughed and put her hand on his upper thigh. He took his right hand from the wheel and put it on hers. "Thanks for the compliment, Emily."

The two sat in enjoyable silence for the rest of the ride to his mom's house. They were glad for a moment of silent… just enjoying one another's company… as well as wondering what was awaiting them at his mother's house.

….

After a dinner of pasta, bread and salad, Damon put the dishes away while his mom started the dishes and Emily wiped the table down after helping put things away. While his mom was still washing the dishes, Damon decided to show Emily some of the family albums.

"So, it's just been you and your mom?"

"Yeah, dad died a long time ago. I don't really remember him, though. It's just been me and mom for as long as I can remember."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's been great, just the two of us. We could never hide anything from each other… no matter how hard we tried…like, especially when I liked a girl… it was always hard to hide that. Besides, I don't remember a lot from my childhood."

Just as Damon pulled out one of the older albums a newspaper article fell out from in between the pages. Emily picked it up, and Damon turned to see what it was. He stopped dead in his tracks as he let his eyes look over the article for a second and third time. The article was the wedding announcements page and, among other couples, it showed a man that looked like his father with another woman. The man looked like he was in his 40s, but Damon couldn't really believe that. There had to be some sort of misunderstanding.

"What the- -?" Damon grabbed the article and stared at it in confusion. He tried to read the words, but they were all blurry-he couldn't make out a single letter. "Mom?" he finally spoke.

"Yes dear? What's wrong?" she walked into the dining room and stopped dead in her tracks. She knew what he was holding… _how did he find it?_

"What's this?" Damon's voice cracked from trying to restrain the shock.

"I think Emily should go home now. This is a private family matter," his mom replied solemnly.

Emily stood by Damon's side quietly as she looked from Damon to his mom and back again. Both were pale and neither spoke for a few moments.

"No, I want Emily to stay," Damon finally spoke. "I'm going to tell her anyways, so she might as well hear it now…from you."

"Well, it's difficult, Damon," his mom tried to reason as her eyes watered.

"Emily's a smart girl…she can keep up." Damon took another moment to look at the pain that was in his mother's eyes. "Look, mom. We'll be patient. Just take your time." Damon didn't know what he was getting into. He didn't care because he wanted to know who that man was and why his mom kept this wedding announcement.

The three sat at the table, Damon still holding the article. After a few moments, Charlie started to explain:

"Damon, your father didn't die. The two of you were heading to a comic book store in Denver on your 7th birthday, on the way back, the two of you got into a really bad car wreck on the highway. You were both really luck to be alive, and the wreck was an accident…no one was to blame. Your father was ok, but you were in a coma for a long time. After five months of waiting and there not being any progress, your father finally snapped. He couldn't deal with it anymore. He kept remembering the fact that our first son, Ryan, died while being born, and he couldn't just sit around and wonder if you were going to make it or not. He didn't want to watch his son die, so he got a divorce. It was very simple, and he let me keep everything. He wanted a new start, and decided to live in Paris, Texas to find that peace. He also agreed to send me a check every month to take care of myself and you, if you made it."

Emily put her hand on Damon's shoulder as his mom continued.

"After you came to a month later, I couldn't tell you the truth. You would have been so hurt. It would be easier for you to think your father was dead rather than that he abandoned you during the time you needed him the most. Your father agreed with this idea, and decided to stay out of your life, giving you the chance to live without any more issues added. Another reason we didn't want to tell you the truth was because even though you were awake, you had to be put through therapy for four more months. You were so out of it, I didn't want to break your heart. I might not have made the right decision, but I think it was the best for the time. This accident is also where you got your scar, in case you were wondering."

Charlie looked down at the table for a moment to regain control. She tried telling the past as if Damon wasn't there. It made it easier for her. She had told herself the story so many times; it was as if she was alone in the house. She imagined Damon and Emily left to go back to their own homes, and she was sitting alone, reminding herself of everything that happened when her world crashed and fell apart. She stared at the table because she didn't want to look at Damon. She had just unlocked such a secret to him…now of all times. He had so much to deal with…she felt like a terrible mom and she could feel the bond they shared tearing.

Finally, she looked up and saw Damon as still as he was when she began. Emily had pulled her seat close to Damon's and put her arm around his shoulder. He seemed like he was zoning out, but his mother knew better. Damon was furious, but in his eyes she could see the pain and confusion. She figured she needed to continue the story before he got annoyed. She needed to finish explaining.

"Once you heard what happened to your father, you became introverted. You stopped speaking, you stopped crying, and you hardly showed any form of emotion. Getting through rehab was tough for you physically, but emotionally, you got worse when we got home. Nothing changed at home. I wasn't able to move your father's stuff away, and that made it harder because you knew things had changed. You realized that everything was going to change. I knew it was hard for you, but this was the easiest thing. I needed you to believe he left without a choice. I didn't want you to think he was a coward, or that he just gave up on you. I needed you to believe he had no other choice.

Kris and I stayed in contact, but he hardly asked about you. I know it was hard for him, but he told me it felt like you were taking me away from him. He still loved me, and I'd be lying if I said I was over him. The truth is I can't get into a relationship because he still means the world to me. I kept hoping that after you got better he would want to come back to us, but he never did.

Ever since the divorce, I told Kris to keep in contact and to keep me posted on his new life. He has been really good about that, and even to this day, he stays in contact. About two years ago, he got married to his sweetheart, Christina, and they have a four year old daughter by the name of Lindsey and Christina is pregnant with a son. They still live in Paris, Texas and he is working as a music teacher in a high school."

….

Damon didn't know what to think. He couldn't understand why his mother lied to him, he couldn't remember the car wreck…he couldn't remember anything until he was eight years old. He just thought his dad died in a wreck all alone. All of a sudden, his anger flared. He couldn't believe his parents lied to him for so long. How could his father not want to talk to him? How could his father abandon him? What kind of parent was he? How could he just get remarried, like nothing was wrong? How could his dad leave his mother? No… he wasn't his dad… his father was dead…all that was there was a man his mom thought she was in love with: Kris. Trying to calm down, Damon thought back to his childhood, "What happened? What changed?"

"I don't know," his mother answered sincerely. "I sent you back to school after your eighth birthday, and you just clicked one day. You started talking to me again, but still you refused to make friends. It was a Friday, and you said, "I never thought the weekend would come." I was so shocked, but I couldn't show you that in case you went back and withdrew yourself. Instead, I kept you busy. I took you places, and asked you what you wanted to do…I pretty much spoiled you, but you never saw it that way. You never asked for anything unless I offered it first, and even then, you would say, "Whatever."

Even though you talked to me, you stayed very secluded, even around me. You packed all your comic books away and stuck them in the attic and you would go through many different unexplainable phases. Finally, I took you to a music joint one weekend, and I saw a spark light in your eyes. You got back into music, and the first things you asked for of your own accord was a guitar and a notebook with music lines so you could write your own lyrics and music. I immediately gave you those, and signed you up for classes. Music became your outlet. Music made you show emotion. Boys still made fun of you because of how introverted you were. Even the boys that used to be your friends insulted and teased you. You ignored everyone… there were girls who tried to talk to you…but you coldly ignored all of them…braking many young female hearts. The boys soon learned that you weren't going to respond to their words, so they started to pick fights. They tried to beat you up, but every time they tried, you beat them all up. You ended up getting in a lot of trouble with the principal, but I never bothered with it. I stayed completely on your side. It took the boys a few years, but finally they learned to leave you alone; the girls…well, they did the same.

As I said before, music kept you sane. Each year you took a music class, and that's where you met that teacher, what was his name?"

"Mr. Wise, yeah, he still helps me out," Damon informed his mother.

"Yeah, I remember he would take you aside for an hour or two after school and just give you some one-on-one help. He was the one who taught you how to write song lyrics as well as music notes. What grade did he start this?"

"I first met him my 7th grade year, and he's helped me ever since," Damon answered dully.

Emily couldn't believe what she had gotten herself into. She thought her past was rough, but now she sees she had it super easy. She didn't have to worry about someone she thought highly of abandoning her. She felt bad for Damon; he seemed to be in shock even though his mom was talking about the better stuff now.

"Honestly Damon, even though music was the only thing that got you to open up, I still got worried. The emotions you showed were not always good. A lot of times, you opened up to your anger and depression…sometimes you just looked so… _hateful_. Even when Razor and Jasper came into your life, which wasn't until high school, you still were unapproachable and used your sarcasm to keep them away.

It wasn't until Emily came into your life that I saw you smile…truly smile. You didn't even have that beautiful of a smile when you moved out of here and in with the guys."

Damon looked at the clock and realized it was pretty late. "Hey, it's getting late, mom. I really need to take Emily home."

"Oh, ok." She seemed to snap out of the past and back to the present. "I'm glad you two were able to come." She looked down at her hands and sighed, "I'm just sorry I had to give you all of this unexpected information."

Emily smiled as she stood, "It's all right, ma'am. I'm just glad you and Damon trusted me enough to let me stay."

Damon walked over to the door, "See you later, mom."

"Bye honey, I'll see you soon."

Emily hugged Damon's mom before she walked over to Damon's side.

"Bye," Emily said as she slipped out of the house and walked to Damon's car.

The ride home was very awkward for the both of them. Neither of them spoke, and they didn't even turn on the radio. It was completely silent as they drove up to Emily's apartment. Once there, Damon got out of the car and opened Emily's door. They walked in silence to the front door, and Damon slipped his hand into hers. She felt the insecurity in his grip and felt terrible for him. She wanted to help him, but what could she do? "Hey, do you want to come it?"

Damon looked back at his car and turned to her, "I guess a little while will be ok."

"Great," she replied as she opened the door and saw her mom and Brian getting ready for bed.

The two walked over to her room and she motioned for him to get on the bed. "I'll be right back."

Damon sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the carpeted floor. He was still in shock from all that went on. He couldn't believe his mom had kept such a secret. Sure, he was mad at her for lying to him, but he felt really bad for her. She had to keep this secret and she still loved Kris…someone who didn't deserver her love and affection. Damon knew that he had an older brother who was miscarried, but now everything seemed in place. Damon was too tired to even think anymore. He turned and lay on the bed, looking up at the ceiling as Emily walked into her room with a bag of chewy chocolate chip cookies and a large glass of milk.

"You need some relaxation," Emily announced as she handed him the cookies and the milk. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow as he sat up, but took the items without complaining. She sat behind him and started to rub his back, giving him a simple massage. "Let me tell you something…it's kind of sad, but it's about my family."

Damon turned his head slightly to see Emily's face. He couldn't see much emotion; all he saw was a distant look as she continued the massage on his back. He looked forward again and nodded, "Ok. You don't have to if you don't want to Emily. It's not a big deal."

"I know, but you'll hear this sooner or later. You trusted me enough to let me hear a past that you had no idea about. Know it's my turn."

She stopped massaging his back and just leaned her forehead between his shoulder blades. Damon sighed as he set the milk and cookies to his side and turned around. He wrapped his arms around her and pressed a light kiss against the top of her head. She then straightened up and nodded for him to eat as she took a breath. Before she started her story, she looked up at Damon with a questioning glance.

"What is it?" Damon inquired.

"What scar?"

Damon smiled a crooked smile as he realized she had never seen his scar…his famous yet mysterious scar that always amazed him. Now that he knew where it came from, it wasn't as exciting. "You really want to know?"

"Yes."

"Ok then." Damon pulled off his shirt and exposed a scar on his chest that looked like an "x" over his heart. One side of the "x" stretched from under his left arm, across his heart and to the middle of his chest, the other side was quite a bit smaller, nearly about 3 inches long. The scar looked so sacred…so unique…Emily couldn't believe it, but she couldn't stop looking at it. Damon snickered, bringing Emily back to the real world. Once she realized she was staring at his chest, she quickly gained control and looked up toward his face and took another deep breath and started her story without another word about his scar.

"When Brian and I were still young, and his dad was still around, we were about to go on a fishing trip. Brian was so excited because it was his first real adventure. We spent the day at the Lake and we caught a few fish, but nothing worth keeping, so his dad told us to let the fish go, and we'd go buy some fish at Red Lobster. I just turned 7 years old… I guess that's just a bad year.

Well, we got the fish, and we got home. Mom was really excited and set the table. We had dinner and we all talked about the great adventure we had just taken. For some reason, Brian's dad seemed distracted. None of us knew what was going on, but we figured he was just anxious to get back to work. He had been out of a job for a few months, and things were looking a little scary.

That night, he left. He told mom that she wasn't what he wanted, and he didn't want children. He said he took us on the trip because he wanted to prove to himself that he could settle down and have a real family…he said it just confirmed that he couldn't. He was tired of all of us, and he thought he could get a job up in Alaska…where his ex-girlfriend lived. Mom cried and begged him to stay… for her, for me, for Brian…his son. He laughed at her and shook his head. Brian came down from his room then, and cried, asking his father to stay. His dad just laughed a mocking laugh and stocked out the door with his suitcase and all the money we had left.

Brian ran after him, even after his dad got into the car and drove out of the driveway. Mom fell to the floor and just cried. She cried so hard then, harder than I've ever seen her cry. She called Brian to come back in, but Brian still ran after the car.

It was dark and pretty late, but all of a sudden, we heard a screech and a thud. Mom and I ran out of the house screaming for Brian, but we couldn't see him. Then, we saw a car stopped in the middle of the road and a drunken teenage boy running out to look at the front of his car. There he was…Brian was sprawled under the car, and he was unconscious. His legs and back were twisted up, and he wasn't moving at all. Mom ran inside the house and called the ambulance, and that day, our lives changed enormously.

Brian was taken to the hospital, and there we found out that he was paralyzed from his waist down. He would never walk again. That day, we lost a father…the last man I would even consider calling father, and we lost the light that shined in Brian's eyes."

Damon was surprised to hear the story, and he held Emily as she started to cry from the memory. He finally realized why she couldn't trust any man. She had been let down so many times, but it was never easy. She was always left to fall hard, with no one to catch her. That would change though. He was here for her, just as she was there for him. Damon's emotional walls crumbled. The tears that threatened to escape him at his mother's house finally came. The two hugged each other as they cried for their own misfortune and for the misfortune of their significant other.

…..

After a few hours passed, and both were done with their own breakdown, Emily laughed and picked up the now empty bag of cookies and empty glass. The two ate their sorrows away before the crying ended. Damon shook his head and got off the bed and headed over to the bathroom to wash his face off. Once he got out, Emily walked over to him and whispered, "I think you should stay the night. It's already 2:00 in the morning."

"Are you sure? Will your mom be ok with that?"

"Yeah, she'll be cool. She might be surprised at first, but trust me, she won't mind at all."

"Ok, if you say so."

"Ok, now that that's settled, I can get the couch set up for you to sleep on. Emily went over to the hall closet and grabbed a few pillows and blankets and set them on the couch. Afterwards, she snuck into Brian's room and found a pair of baggy sweat pants and a plain white t-shirt that Damon could use to sleep in.

When Damon went back into the bathroom to get changed into the clothes Emily set out for him, she quickly changed into her own pajamas for the night. It was a good thing it was now Sunday and Sasha decided to give the girls a day off to relax before the next week of extreme practice for Boston.

Once they were both in their night attire, Damon walked over to Emily and gave her another quick hug, "Thanks for being there for me. I really needed you."

"I'm glad you trusted me enough to let me stay." Emily leaned up and gave him a quick kiss on the lips before turning to her bed and sliding into the covers. After pulling the covers over Emily, Damon settled on the couch, and watched as Emily fell fast asleep. He didn't think he would get much sleep, but was willing to try…

**As a side note: any song that had Damon singing "I Won't Stand Alone," the song was removed and switched for "We've Got Company" because I want to add it in a later chapter, as something he writes because of his new knowledge of the past and how he sees Emily in a new light…trying to help him through this hard and numbing time.**

**Well, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! I sure loved writing it! It just took a long time because it had to go through a few phases before I found what I really wanted and what would be the best approach! I want to thank "irrevocably ives" for all the help she's given me! She really helped me out in this chapter, and I just want her to get the credit she deserves! **

**I'm sorry for any mistakes that I have made in this story. It's late and I'm tired, but I really wanted to post this chapter up today! I thought it has been too long since my last update. I hope everyone enjoys! **


	7. Chapter 7: Breaking the Boundaries

**A/N: Sorry it took so long to post! So much has been going on… and I haven't had steady internet for awhile…and there were minor changes that needed to be made! Thanks for the patience of all my readers and faithful reviewers! :) I love reviews and they make me go faster and try to produce to please the readers. Thanks for all the encouragement and help along the way! Please, enjoy this chapter! **

**Chapter 7: Breaking the Boundaries**

The next week passed quickly for both Emily and Damon. Neither could see each other because Emily was spending as much time in the gym to work on her routines, and Damon was spending all his time at the Pizza Shack, trying to earn more money for his travel to L.A. On top of that, he was spending his last few nights doing gigs with Razor and Jasper, who were both really excited for Damon's songwriting success.

On the day Emily left for Boston, Razor and Damon did the same as every other day. They wished they could follow the girls, but it just couldn't happen. Timing was not letting them. They got up and went to work, this time it was Damon's last day before leaving for L.A. and Razor, well, he was just glad to be getting into the swing of things. He was sad his friend was leaving, but he knew that Damon couldn't stay away from Boulder for that long…not now that he was in love with Emily. After the lunch rush, Damon pulled out his phone, wanting to call Emily. _All I have to do is call. I just want to make sure she's ok._ He decided against it though when he thought of how she was going to be surrounded by gymnasts and the media…and he didn't want to make her more nervous than she was already going to be. Besides, if Sasha saw her on the phone, he would probably get really upset that she was not _100%_ focused. Just as he slipped his phone back into his pocket, it started to vibrate. He pulled it out and saw Emily was calling him. Perfect timing girl. "Tumblina," he answered. "I didn't think you'd call. What's up?"

"I thought you were going to be on a plane to L.A. but I just wanted to hear your voice…I figured I'd just leave a message."

"That message would be?"

"Never mind that, Damon. How's it going at the Shack?"

"Same as usual I guess. It gets crazy one minute, and calm as a ghost town the next. How's it going with you?"

"Oh, stressful I guess. There are so many people, and the media is all over the place. I don't think I can handle this much longer."

"You don't need to. Just stick with your mom and Brian."

"I can't exactly do that…not at the same time anyway."

"Why? They're both around, aren't they?"

"No, Brian didn't make it. Joe, of course, didn't pay for his ticket."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I just thought it would be different, you know. Once I got to the big time, I figured I would be with my family…and the people I love. But I guess not." Before she could say anything else, the crowds irrupted in cheers as Kelly Parker entered the building. Damon hung up when he realized there would be no conversation and sighed.

"Was that Emily?" Razor asked.

"Yeah, but it's too loud right now. I guess we'll talk later on."

"I'm sorry man. I wish you could've had some sort of conversation."

"Don't worry about it. We'll talk later. Enough about that, how're you holding up? Tell me about you and Payson."

With that, Razor told Damon all about his date nights with Payson Keeler. "The first night was amazing…it was so perfect, I never thought I would feel this way. I've been enjoying every minute we spend together. It's not even the way I felt about Emily."

"Wow, that's intense," Damon replied with a chuckle. Razor continued and shared just how he enjoyed her company. It didn't matter if they took a walk in the moonlit park, or got a late night mocha at the café, or even if they went to the teenage night club to loosen up, he enjoyed every minute they spent together. "Payson loves classical music, but she just recently realized how emotional rock and screamo music truly can be. At the club, she was taken off guard and awestruck by the feelings that overwhelmed her as the rush of music flowed through her. I also found out that she likes sports movies that show dedication and the will to fight for something truly important to someone. Her favorite movies are "Glory Road" and "Million Dollar Baby" because of the obstacles they all had to face."

Damon laughed at the thought of Razor actually dating Payson as he folded the pizza boxes. "Are you serious Razor? I mean, do you realize just how completely opposite from Payson you really are?"

"Maybe that's what I need," Razor challenged as he filled the salt and pepper shakers. "Maybe what we both need."

"Really?" Damon questioned again.

"Yeah, I really think so. Look at Emily and me. That didn't work out in the slightest."

"No offense dude, but it was never going to work out. You liked her, but she wasn't interested in you. It's got nothing to do with how much in common you had with her or not. She's just different from everyone else. There is no stereotype that she actually fits in…I can truly say she isn't like anyone but herself."

Razor shook his head, "Well, I still think there is something here for me and Payson. She's really special."

"Did she invite you to meet her family? Did she invite you to Boston to watch her compete?"

"No, and no, she's been stressed, so when we're out, I don't want her to stress about gymnastics or her family."

Damon raised an eyebrow and smirked as he slid a pizza into the oven.

"Well, has Emily invited you to Boston? Has she tried to talk you out of going to L.A.?"

"Touché," Damon replied with another chuckle. "Besides, Emily and I are different. We are just friends with extreme benefits." The truth was, they all had a way to go with this whole dating situation, especially since both girls were not even allowed to date while in gymnastics.

…..

After calling Damon while in that gym, Emily felt a little better. She was sad they had to hang up, but hearing his voice might just be what she needed to get through the day. She just wanted to get to the hotel. She didn't like the crowd and knew she wouldn't get any attention until she proved herself. At the same time, she didn't want the attention. She saw the stress that all the other girls were going through and was glad not to be a part of that whole drama. She just wanted to compete…she wanted to prove to everyone that she belonged here.

_You don't have to prove to anyone…just yourself._ She remembered Sasha's encouraging words…she just wished she could believe him.

…..

Damon knew what he needed to do. Emily needed Brian. There was no way she would be able to compete without her brother there to cheer her on. After work, Damon walked over to where Razor was putting away the last of the dishes. "Hey, buddy."

"Yeah, what's up?" Razor replied as he turned around to face Damon.

"I've got a plan. You in?"

….

At home, Brian was folding his clothes and setting them back in the laundry basket. He was trying to watch TV, but nothing was on. The news channel was boring and as he turned the channel to the sports' news, he listened as the reporters talked about all the gymnasts. He got upset when he realized the reporters were not taking time to talk about the team captain or the Rocky Mountain team, and his sister, Emily Kmetko. He knew she was a new member but she was really good…and it wasn't fair for them to ignore her ability.

Just after he threw a sock at the TV from his frustration, and actually turned off the TV, he saw a teenager step halfway through the door as he knocked. Brian looked at him curiously, "What do you need Damon? Why are you here?"

"Razor and I have a surprise for you, Brian. Are you in?"

"It depends on what you call a 'surprise' Damon."

"Are you interested in taking a road trip to Boston?"

"Yeah, I'd love to go, but how are we going to get there?"

"Well, a friend is taking a bus to Atlanta for Radiohead and they said he'd take a detour and drop us off at the Boston gym. Your sister really misses you. She'd be really happy if you showed up."

"I'm so in."

With that, the boys headed out the door and into the bus for their very own road trip.

…

The team was falling apart and Emily didn't know what to do. The pressure was building, confidence was wavering, and the drama about Carter, Lauren and Kaylie was really affecting the top four. At this rate, Rebecca Keeler could win the gold medal!

Emily felt like she was not cut out to be captain. It was difficult enough to try to be positive, but now she was stuck in the same room as Lauren, who was already getting on her nerves. She lay on her bed, hoping to get some peace, but all she could think of was her past failures. She needed air. Emily got up and ran out of the room and headed for the courtyard to think. All she wanted was to be complete. She wanted Brian to be by her side, she wanted her mom's total support…but even more than all that, she wanted to see Damon's smiling face as he cheered for her and support her. She wanted Damon. It was at this moment she really couldn't live without him.

As she walked through the courtyard, she saw Leo talking to Kaylie, and then she saw Carter step up. Emily felt awful for Kaylie. If her boyfriend cheated on her, she would never trust another guy again. That was partly the reason she didn't want to have claim on Damon. They were together, but it was hard for her to realize just how much she wanted to be with him.

…

After Kaylie left Carter, she headed to her room to try to clear her mind. Since she wasn't paying attention, she walked into Nick. "Oh, sorry, I guess I wasn't paying close attention."

"Don't worry about it. Hey, are you ok? You seem really upset."

"It's no big deal I guess. Carter came trying to get back with me, but I just walked away…and told him I need to be away from him," the tears left her eyes and fell upon her cheeks as she thought of all the romantic moments she and Carter shared.

"I'm sorry you're having a hard time. It's got to be really rough, especially with the pressure of Nationals right here," Nick sympathized as he pulled Kaylie into a hug. After a moment of silence, he spoke again, "Hey, you are a very bright girl. You don't need a guy to make you complete. You are beautiful, you are skilled, and there is still so much you are capable of. Carter was just a hindrance for you. Now, it's your turn. You can really be yourself know and trust in your skill…and no one else's."

…

Lauren walked over to the vending machine. She needed a bottle of water, and needed time to just think. So much was going on, and everything was getting difficult. She was losing her best friend, and their team captain wasn't really trying to help the team come together. She was wallowing in her own mishaps and disappointments, which wasn't fair to the rest of the girls.

As she was putting her dollar in the machine, Leo came up behind her, "Are you sneaking a midnight snack?"

"No, I'm just grabbing a bottle of water. I need to be out of that room. Emily is ridiculous. She is having her own little pity party, and it's _not_ helping the team."

"Don't be so hard on her. Team captain is a big responsibility."

"Yeah, I know. She should be taking it seriously…especially since we are all in a tough spot." Lauren responded as she rolled her eyes.

"I know what you mean. Just give her some time. Give her a chance," Leo responded as he leaned down and grabbed the bottled water for Lauren. When she grabbed her water, Leo put his other hand on top of hers. "Good luck Lauren. I really hope you do your best."

After his comment, he walked away and headed to his own room. Lauren blushed slightly before shaking her head and heading to her shared room.

….

After arriving in Boston the next day, and making their entrance, Damon, Razor and Brian cheered for the girls and met them at the front gate. Later that evening, Damon spent time with Emily, getting her pumped for the next day's competition. "Hey, Emily, listen to me," he said after helping her imagine a great outcome and telling her just how much she truly deserved to be out there in the first place _You deserve to be out there…like any other girl…_ "I know you're scared, but you don't need to be. You are an amazing gymnast. I mean, you worked on your skill since you were a toddler…you practiced in a playground, then a YMCA, and now you've gotten trained at an amazing gym, The Rocky Mountain Gymnastics. You sacrificed a lot—you bled, sweated, and cried for gymnastics. Let it give something back to you. Just relax and do what you do best…of course, with following your coach's lead."

Emily set her head on Damon's shoulder, "Thanks Damon. You really helped me out today. I really think I can make a difference. I think I can win it. I just need to relax and clear my mind. Thank you."

"No problem. That's what I'm here for, right?"

"Um, can you sing for me?"

"Sure, what do you want?"

"Surprise me Damon."

Damon smiled as he put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to warm her. "It's not going to be perfect because this song is still in the works…and I don't have my guitar right now, but here it goes:

_It's just another morning glory _

_Or one more twisted side of this wild ride _

_Another chapter in this story _

_But I can't hide the way I feel inside _

_Because I'm a stranger in a strange land _

_And I'm a million miles from my home _

_If I got to take my last stand, I won't stand alone _

_I won't stand alone_

_I won't stand alone_

_I won't stand alone_

_I won't stand alone_

_Because I'm a stranger in a strange land_

_And I'm a million miles from my home _

_If I got to take my last stand, I won't stand alone _

_I won't stand alone_

_I won't stand alone_

_I won't stand alone_

_I won't stand alone_

Razor sat in his room, and couldn't believe his overwhelming desire to see and talk to Payson. He grabbed his phone and text her:

To: Payson

From: Razor

Message: Can I see u? I'll be at the courtyard in 5. I'll wait 15.

He headed over to the courtyard in a hurry. He wanted to see Payson and hoped she was awake to get the message. He saw Damon and Emily sitting together on a bench and he heard Damon's smooth voice singing a new song. He smiled as he saw the two cuddle even closer together.

Emily tilted her head up and planted a quick kiss on his chin. She gave several more kisses in the same spot as he sang. Once he finished the song, Emily looked up at him and smiled, and then without warning him, she leaned up and kissed his bulging Adam's apple making him shudder involuntarily. She smirked and kissed it again, then ran her tongue over it before kissing and sucking his Adam's apple one more time.

Damon shuddered as he pulled her closer, "That was amazing." He leaned down and kissed her forehead. Afterwards, he pulled her closer and kissed her lips deeply for several moments. He pulled away slightly and whispered against her already parted lips, "You will win a place in the Olympics. I know you will." With that comment, his lips crashed back down onto hers, kissing her as intensely as he knew.

Payson walked up behind Razor, and put her arms around his waist and rested her head between his shoulder blades, "Hey there."

He didn't move because he didn't want her to pull away, "Hey there stranger. How are you doing?"

"Wonderful," she replied as she stood straight and walked to his front. She smiled softly and continued, "I'm really nervous. I want to win…I want to beat Kelly Parker…but I am in so much pain. I don't know if I should take the cortisone shot or not. Is that cheating? Lying? Is it even fair?"

Razor pulled her close to his chest as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, "Look, whatever you do, I'm right here. You do what you think is right. I can't tell you what to do. You need to make that choice."

Yeah. What did you call me out here for?"

"I just wanted to have some alone time to wish you luck tomorrow. Whatever you decide, I'll be cheering you on."

"Thanks, Razor." Payson looked up at him and smiled a little shyly. He looked at her angel-like face and saw a pink color start to flush over her pale face. "I know I don't act like I care that much, but I really appreciate how close we've gotten to each other," she whispered as she leaned up and pressed her smooth, moist lips against his. He tightened his grip on her back and pulled her even closer. The two enjoyed the short moment they spent having their first kiss. They both pulled away slowly and smiled at each other. Payson laid her head on Razor's chest as he let his head rest against the top of hers so he could smell her freshly washed hair that smelled like coconut and nature.

With all the stress that would come in the next day, the girls weren't the only ones seeking distraction. Sasha was at a nearby bar, trying to calm his stressful nerves. He knew he shouldn't be here and should be setting a good example to the girls, but he just needed a few minutes to himself…a few minutes to unwind.

"Hey there, Tiger," a woman's voice surprised him. He turned to look who it was and was shocked to see Chloe Kmetko sitting on the stool next to him in a leopard print dress.

"Hey, Chloe, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, Brian's asleep and I needed a drink. I can't be sober and watch my daughter compete tomorrow. I'm so nervous for her."

"She'll be fine as long as she keeps her head straight."

"Yeah, well, what about you Sasha. How're you holding up?"

"I'll be fine. I just needed a few shots."

"How about that and a little…I don't know…a little love?"

"Chloe, you know that can't happen. You're a mom. We can't get into that complicated stuff."

"Sure we can. We just don't have to announce it to everyone."

"I don't think so."

"You think too much," Chloe whipped back as she stood and took a step closer to him.

"Chloe, don't. We can't."

"Oh…yes we can. Just watch me." She leaned up slowly, and grabbed his collar to pull his face closer to her and teased him with a smooth and smoldering kiss. "You could have that…and more if you let me in. Or, I could let you in."

"Chloe," he breathed out, "this isn't smart and you know it."

"I've never been known for being smart, Sasha. Have you ever been convicted of that?"

"I don't think so, but we can't do this."

"We don't have to go all the way, just enough to give the both of us something to think on tomorrow that will settle the stress."

"Fine, but not all the way. That's my boundary."

"Sounds like a plan," she replied and winked as she gave him another quick kiss. "Let's get a bottle and head back to your place."

"Alright, we can do that."

….

During the competition, Kaylie worked her heart out to prove that she was ready for the top. She competed with fire in every area of competition. She put her heart, soul, dedication and drive into her moves to show how far she'd come. She moved with grace, strength and power…more than everyone had expected. She was in control! She was glad to get rid of her burden that came from Carter, her father, and now MJ, who tried to tell her she wasn't ready. She was ready for the gold, and she would do all she needed to in order to prove that she was capable of winning.

Emily had a newfound energy that was brought from the realization that Damon, Brian, and her mom were all there…together to cheer her on. She saw Damon that morning and was able to spend about fifteen minutes with him so she could clear her mind from her worries and stress. He gave her a really nice back massage, and she was finally ready to prove to the world…and herself that she belonged on the Olympic team. She also gained confidence when Coach Sasha Belov told her he believed in her…enough to let her do her own routines.

Everyone was seeing things in a new light. This competition was taking a turn for the better for Emily and her friends. She couldn't help but believe that she and the other three girls were going to make it far in the Nationals. They would each get to the top!

Lauren got a surprise visit from Leo at breakfast. He sat by her and, under the table—so Sasha wouldn't see—he took her hand and intertwined his fingers with hers. He also slid a note with his other hand towards her, telling her he wished her luck and hoped her the best. After breakfast though, her day just got awful. She thought that Summer was going to be there no matter what. When she asked her dad, he told her Summer left. She was angry and only got angrier while she competed. She was doing really well in her overall performance, but her heart was not in the competition. She felt betrayed. Finally she got enough courage to call Summer…when she found out Summer was still there, she was thrilled! Taking a moment to talk to her new friend, she finally believed in Summer and was thrilled that Summer was there for her. Summer showed Lauren true friendship and explained so much about life. She was so knowledgeable, and Lauren was glad she hadn't disappeared. After talking with her friend, she smiled brightly and was finally ready to compete with the heart and dedication that defined her. Nothing was ever going to hold her back. She was finally free.

With everyone so motivated, Sasha felt a weight lifted off his chest. He looked into the crowd and saw Chloe cheering for each of the girls and smiled to himself as he remembered the night before. It was a glorious time and just what the both of them needed. Still, he had to keep focused. He was worried about Payson. With each of her routines, he could see she was in more pain than ever. He wanted her to stop, but she was just too stubborn for that. He worried for her…and wondered how long she'd last.

Payson fought hard. She was consistent in her strength and skill. Her overall performance was easily the top of the ranks. She was unbeatable at this point…but she couldn't go much further. The pain in her back shot down to her legs and up her spine to her head. The pain was intense, and she needed relief. She went to the locker room, looking for a quiet place to cope with her pain. She was about to take the cortisone that she got from Nick, and the comment Razor spoke the night before. As she was pondering what her decision would be, she soon found that Kelly Parker was taking cortisone for her injured ankle. She couldn't believe it…Kelly, the one who called it lying. When she confronted Kelly about it, the girl simply waved it away while saying, "Come on Payson, everyone lies."

"No, not everyone." With that, Payson threw away the cortisone and went back to the mats to compete. She still had the uneven bars to finish. She walked up to the beam and watched as one after another gymnasts finished their uneven bar routines.

Once she was up, she took a deep breath and concentrated on her routine ahead of her. Each move showed her strength and her unknown grace. She could feel her body physically work harder than it had ever done before. As she was moving from one bar to the next, after a difficult forward flip, she grasped the bar, and noticed immediately the pain that shot through her back. She couldn't hold the bar any longer, and tumbled down unto the mat. She could hear the screams and shouts. She heard her father call her name, her mother scream, her coach ask if she was ok, and Razor…she heard Razor as he called her name again and again, trying to get her to answer… "Payson, Payson…are you ok? Please, say something…" Then, everything turned black…she lost her vision, then her hearing…and then…she finally passed out…

…..

The rest of the competition was hard to handle after Payson's accident. None of the girls could really think. They tried hard…for Payson…and themselves. Nationals continued as if their friend didn't get her, making it difficult for the girls, yet they were able to gain a newfound strength for Payson. Each girl worked even harder than before. Kaylie, Emily and Lauren all took the strength they saw in Payson and used it…they took her never faltering dedication to getting to Nationals, and not worrying about any other drama, and used that in their performances…they took all their memories of how all the girls got together, and used that to gain the strength and confidence needed to pull through the rest of Nationals.

By the end of it, Kaylie won the gold, and Lauren and Emily both got high enough scores to make it to the Olympic team! The girls did it! Each of them accomplished their goals, and Kaylie proved to the world she was better than everyone expected and gave her credit for… she proved she was not just a girly girl, but also a girly girl with fire and skill.

…

Damon smiled as he hugged Emily, "I'm so proud of you! This is so amazing! It's your dream come true."

"Damon, my dream came true when you and my brother showed up. I couldn't have done it without you." She blushed deeply as she confessed her feelings. She couldn't believe she did, but now she wanted him to know just how important he had become in her life. "Oh, and you know what, there's something else I want to tell you…" with that, she wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned up on her tip toes as she pressed a kiss against his lips. Damon enjoyed the feel of her lips against his so much. He knew they had just kissed last night, but he couldn't wait to kiss her again…he didn't know when he would get the chance. He let his tongue explore her mouth quickly, earnestly, as if he was afraid she would vanish. He pulled her close to him again, and continued the kiss…until he realized…they were doing this in the public!_ Wouldn't Sasha see? _Damon pulled away immediately, but when he looked into her eyes, he realized he didn't care if Sasha saw the kiss. He loved her so much, and after this stunt, he could feel her love for him. He watched her as she left his side and walk with her friends…no doubt to check on Payson. As they walked away, Razor came up beside him, "Hey, how are you holding up?"

"I'm good I guess. I still love her…so what could go wrong?"

…

**A/N: I hope everyone liked this chapter! It was so much fun to write! I put a lot more couple romance to please the readers! :) I hope everyone likes the couple pairings…including the Leo/Lauren pairing. **

**If there is something you want to see in the story…just send me a review… and I'll try my best to please everyone! :)**

**This is also a celebration for the rest of the first season of MIOBI that is starting soon.**


	8. Chapter 8:Exploring New Ideas

**MIOBI Chapter 8: Exploring New Ideas**

Damon sat at his desk in his apartment room as he was trying to write another song. He had postponed his trip to L.A. because of all the drama that came after the competition, and he wanted to be available to Emily in case she needed him. He turned on his TV to try to get something to inspire him…something to get the words from his mind to his hand and paper. All he could think about was Emily and the Nationals at Boston which they had come back from a month ago. Ever since then, Emily had gone to even longer practices, and less time at work. He knew she had to focus on her gymnastics more than ever so she could be a top competitor. He didn't want to disturb her, but all he wanted was to spend an evening with her…doing something…whether it was dinner, a movie or just simply walking in the park.

He also felt bad for Razor because ever since Boston, he had been going from one hospital to another to be with Payson, and then from one therapist to another to help her along the road to recovery. From what her parents told the boys, she was never going to be able to compete in gymnastics again…even though she'd be able to walk with a lot of conditioning and hard work.

As he flipped through the channels, he saw a group of teenagers doing weird stuff that included flips, jumps, climbing on walls, and jumping from one building to another. He didn't know what was happening, or what they were doing, but the adrenaline in his body shot up immediately. He watched intently as each teenager moved and completed the competition. He realized he was watching "Ultimate Parkour Challenge." He had never seen this Parkour stuff before, but he sure thought it looked to be a lot of hard work, exercise, and fun. The cool thing was that there weren't only male contestants, but also females. He saw two girls doing the same stuff, incorporating dance into the Parkour. The guys used a lot of break dance, and the girls used a lot of hip hop, but still used the break dance to enhance their moves. The hosts of the show started talking about Parkour and the new divisions from it, including free running and tricking. Damon wondered what the difference was for each of the divisions and wanted to look them up.

With this newfound interest, Damon turned on his computer and typed up "Parkour, Free running, and Tricking." So much information popped up. It was a new sensation that was mostly spawned from troubled people who couldn't fit in with the other clicks. A new click had emerged. Damon read stories of guys who were skaters, but weren't able to even fit in the outcast club. They took the initiative and made a _new_ outcast click called Parkour. These people worked hard and exercised; the principle was to use movement to get from one place to another as fast as possible, without _avoiding_ the obstacles.

On one of the website's home page, there was a tab that showed him the workout regimes and what kind of muscle endurance training he needed to do in order to be fit enough to join the Parkour crew. He printed the exercise regime pages and put them in a folder on his desk. He wanted to go to the gym today, but first wanted to look up some videos on the internet to watch even more tricks and movements. He completely forgot about the song he was trying so hard to write.

….

Razor sat in the hallway, waiting for Payson's family to finish their conversation with her and the doctors about the assessment. She'd gone through so much testing this week, it drained Payson, he knew, but she was too stubborn to give up. She was trying too hard to get back into gymnastics…he felt awful for her.

He was in the hallway for about twenty more minutes before Payson's parents, sister, doctor, and therapist all came out of her small room. He waited for them to get halfway down the hallway before he stood up to greet them, "Is everything ok?"

Kim Keeler shook her head solemnly, "It's still hard to say. She seems to be getting better and stronger, but still, we are worried about the strain she might cause. She'll be able to walk again, but it could only be for a short while. She needs to be somewhere she could sit down easily. It's going to be tough for a long time. I hope she doesn't give up."

"I don't think she'll ever quit. Mind if I go in there and talk with her?"

"Go right ahead," Kim replied. "She enjoys your company."

Razor smiled and nodded as he walked back into Payson's room. He was sure they were allowing him to see her because they had no idea about the two sneaking out every night before Boston. Once he entered, he saw Payson wipe a few tears off of her cheek. "Hey, Pay, is everything ok?"

"I'm fine. I'm just so tired of trying so hard. It's been a whole month, and I've not had much success. Sure, I can walk, but only for short distances. There is no way I'll be able to train and workout the way I need to for gymnastics. I have to work even harder now though…I have to train really hard to get a second chance at joining the Olympics. There's a chance I'll be able to perform in front of the judges to get another chance to join the American team."

"You know what? As long as you have the will to fight…we'll find a way to get you better. You just have to know it will take a lot of time, dedication, patience, and help from your friends. I'm not ready to give up on you. At the same time, I think of what life you could have if you gave up your gymnastics. I'm not telling you what to do or not to do…I'm here by your side no matter which choice you make." I finished it off with a simple wink as I took her hand in mine. "I really want to see you get better."

The two just sat there holding hands as Payson thought of her new future…a future she never expected to take.

….

Sasha sat across from Chloe at the small yet cozy café as he remembered how the two began dating. Sure the two sort of hooked up the night before the big tournament at Boston, but after the competition, they both talked about that night and agreed not to continue that teasing relationship.

_Sasha was in his trailer, getting ready for bed because it was nearly midnight. All of a sudden, he felt as if something bad was about to happen…and he didn't know what or when…he just felt it. He was wearing his blue pajama pants and a white tee shirt as he fluffed up his pillow, trying to ignore the nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach. Then he heard a faint knock on his trailer door. "Coming," he called as he got up from his bed with a sigh. He wondered who would need him at such a late hour. _

_Opening the door, he realized that it was Emily's mom, Ms. Chloe Kmetko. Her clothes were slightly ruffled; she was wearing a bright blue and green low cut shirt and a black skirt, each which were spattered with dirt and wrinkles. He looked up at her face and realized she had a slightly bruised eye and a barely noticeable swollen lip. _

"_Ms. Kmetko, what happened? Are you ok?" He was afraid of getting involved, but she looked hurt…both physically and emotionally. She needed help, and she came to him. She was so vulnerable…and he wasn't going to push her away when she needed someone. _

"_You can call me Chloe," she first replied as she tugged on her skirt. "Can I…"_

"_Uh, yeah, come on in. Try to get comfortable." Sasha stiffly moved away from the door, giving her space to enter his home. He watched as she sat on the couch and covered her face with her hands. She was crying again, and must have been embarrassed to come to him…but still glad he let her in._

"_My boyfriend…well, now my ex, hit me. I don't want my children to see me like this. Emily will get mad at me, like usual, and Brian will just start to worry. They both have a lot going on right now, and I don't want to bother either of them." She fiddled with her fingers and looked down at her feet, contemplating what to do next. "What do I do Sasha?"_

_He didn't have an answer for her. All he knew was that he was furious! How could any man hit a woman? That was so low…he would find that man and beat him up for her if she wanted him to. He started pacing in front of his couch and thought of what to do next. "Chloe…what do you need? Do you want me to find that…jerk…and take care of him for you?" _

_He had clutched his fists as he saw her shudder slightly, "No, Sasha. Don't bother with it."_

"_If he comes anywhere near you again, just expect the police to come get me…and take him to some hospital." Sasha was serious, but he let out a chuckle to stop her worry. _

_She worried about how her children were, and when she would get to see them. She was scared; however, she worried that Emily would blame her for the situation. Her ex, Jeffrey, seemed to be a really nice guy before that night. He got drunk though and got upset when she was unwilling to invite him to her house because her children were going to be there. He hit her twice because of his anger…luckily she was strong enough to end it then…rather than taking the abuse. _

_She tried to sleep that night, but was too scared to sleep much. That night, neither of them slept. The two just sat there on the bed and talked…passing the time. After that, things were different between them. She was able to go to work the next day, and told her children she just got hit by one of the customers by accident. Both believed her, making it easier to forget that night…_

None of the gymnasts knew he was dating, but they all had noticed a change…he was different. He was not as harsh as before Nationals, but he was still more driven. He became more encouraging to the girls and took time to help each of them on an individual level. He found ways to talk positively to them; he spent much dedication in seeking new ways to better each of the girls' skills while strengthening their weaknesses.

It was true; he kept the girls at the gym a lot longer, but that was going to change soon. He decided to cut the practices to three and a half days. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, he was going to have the girls from 6:00 in the morning to 8:00 at night. Then, he wanted to take a few highly potential girls, probably about ten to sixteen of them and split them in two groups, and take them aside on Saturdays from 7:00 in the morning until noon. One group would be at the gym one Saturday and have the next one off. Having about five to eight girls would make it a lot easier to give the potential girls more one on one time to better their skills.

This was not going to be the only change at the gym. He was not only giving the girls more free time, but he also decided to give them back the choice to have a boyfriend, as well as go to parties as long as they could keep control and focus of their goals, that included not drinking alcoholic beverages because that was an illegal act. He figured giving the girls this privilege would give them a better way to release the stress of the day as well as get the mind off of gymnastics. He wanted them to have more fun…maybe it would give the girls a steadier attitude about their gymnastics. Besides, he had taken a lot of time to get their minds and bodies disciplined, and now he thought it was time to reward them.

Tonight was also a big night for Sasha. He was going to talk to Emily and Brian about the relationship him and their mom had been in for a little less than a month. He planned on letting all the girls from the gym know, but that it wouldn't be fair to tell Emily at the same time, especially if he wasn't really going to announce it but be more open about it. He wanted to tell the children tonight once he took Chloe home.

Like tonight, their dates were simple. They always went to a diner or a cozy café where they could talk and unwind about both of their days. He never did more than hold her hand and kiss her cheek. He had class and he wanted her to know he respected her and would never do anything to hurt her or lose her trust.

"So, Sasha, how were the girls tonight?"

He sipped on his English tea before replying, "They've all gotten so much better. Emily, Lauren and Kaylie have been excelling fast. Another girl who's gotten even better is Rebecca Keeler. Ever since her sister's accident, she's worked even harder. She has spunk…but she is still very different from Payson of course, but still admirable."

"Have you gone to see Payson?" Chloe questioned.

"I've talked to her parents several times, but I haven't seen her yet. Every time I go, she's at one therapy session or another."

"Oh, well, maybe you'll get to see her soon."

"Yeah, I hope so," Sasha replied as he finished his burger.

Chloe looked at her phone that was now ringing. "Hello," she answered. "Hey, baby! How are you? Did you eat dinner?" Another moment passed as she listened. "Oh, yeah honey, I'll be home in a little while." Another minute passed as the person on the other side of the phone replied. Then Chloe continued, "Ok honey. Bye. Oh, wait! Brian, is Emily home?"

Sasha took a breath to try to calm himself. He was nervous about asking for the children's approval, but he felt it was necessary to show Chloe his respect.

"Great, tell her to please stay home. I want to talk to you both about some serious decisions to be made. Alright, bye honey." Chloe put down her phone and sighed. She looked up at Sasha and smiled as she asked, "Are you as nervous as I am about this?"

He had to be honest, "I think I am. I haven't been this nervous since I competed at my last gymnastic meet."

Chloe smiled once again. "Thank you for doing this. It means a lot to me…and I'm sure to my children."

"You're welcome, Chloe."

…..

Damon watched more Parkour and was immediately struck with inspiration. He began writing a song with descriptions of true freedom of the heart, soul and mind and how those freedoms translated into one's expressive self. He wrote of adventures and dreams and all components needed to have a beneficial and necessary adrenaline rush.

After writing the song, he drove his new motorcycle to the exercise gym that stayed open 24/7 to begin his new workout. The workout was intense. He ran a quarter mile to "warm up," then he did 60 pushups, 60 sit ups, 60 dips, then another quarter mile, jump rope for a minute, 50 squats, 50 calf raises, and finally he took 20 minutes to cool down by walking on the treadmill. After his 20 minute walk, he stretched really well, then went to bench press 2 sets of 20 with a 40 lb bar, then with the same bar did 2 sets of 20 skull crushers, then moved to do 2 sets of 30 butterfly with a 10 lb dumbbell in each hand, and then, finally he spent 10 more minutes stretching before heading home. All in all, the hour workout got his blood rushing. Sure, he was really tired and drained, and figured he would be utterly miserable with soreness the next day, but he was thrilled to be able to take the first step in his goal to join the Parkour regime.

Once he got home, he took a cool shower to wash away the day's workout. He was still hyped up and wanted to do some more exercise, but knew his body couldn't take any more. Instead, he went back to his room, and wrote another song of a new love and adventure while stretching even more and drinking water. It was a good think he was used to working out. He knew his body would be sore, but definitely not as bad as if he gave up on the gym for more than a month.

…..

Sasha walked Chloe up the steps while holding her hand. He was nervous, but he wanted to do this. He squeezed her hand gently as they reached the door and she put her key in the lock. When she stepped in the house, she announced her arrival, "Hey kids, mama's home!"

Emily rolled her eyes as she sat up on her bed. While she sat up, Brian wheeled himself from the kitchen with a plate with two slices of pizza on his lap, "Hey mom. You are back."

Just at that moment, Sasha entered the house, still holding Chloe's hand. "I have some news for the two of you," Chloe started as she closed and locked the door.

Emily's gaze moved from her mom's face and Sasha's face down to their hands that were clasped together…as if they were both afraid to pull away from the other. She crossed her arms as she stood from her bed and walked over to Brian. The two teenagers waited patiently for their mom to speak again; Brian was still smiling while Emily's face turned to a scowl.

"Sasha Belov and I have been dating for a little less than a month. Before you two get upset…well Emily anyway, we haven't _done_ anything. Our relationship is innocent…no more than holding hands and kissing cheeks." Chloe smiled brightly, letting her eyes glisten, showing just how happy she was being with him.

Emily glared at the both of them as she thought through of what to do next. "How did _this_ happen?" she practically hissed. Sasha was on her turf now and she was furious at the sight she was beholding.

"Look, Emily we don't want to go into details, but he was there when I needed someone the most. He was there for me…and that's a lot to say for the guys I've been picking lately…or all my life rather." She looked in her daughter's eyes and continued, "It was not an easy decision to make for either of us…but we both feel something."

Emily turned her anger to Sasha, "So, you waited to tell _me_ about this for a month? Why?"

Sasha straightened up, moved away from Chloe, pulling his hand from her, and walked over to Emily. "You want to know why?"

"Yes," she glared more intently.

"I wanted to see if it was real. I didn't want to say I was dating…only for it to end in a week. The three of you have dealt with that enough. I'm certain it is serious between your mom and me. There is a connection that I'm not willing to lose. It won't change how I coach you or anything. Your career will be fine."

"Fine? My coach is dating my mom! What if it doesn't work out? What if it ends badly for you two?"

"It will not impact how I react to you in the gym, Emily. I promise."

"Promise? We'll see about that," Emily shot back.

At that moment, Sasha realized just how much Emily and Brian had gone through. They were scarred by the number of guys that came in and out of their mother's life…and their life. He needed her to gain trust that hardly ever existed. He walked closer to her, now towering over her. Placing his hands on her shoulder, he looked straight into her eyes, not backing away as he spoke, "Emily, I will not hurt your mom, your brother or you. I caught you once, I'll do it again, and again until you are confident that I won't let you or your family fall. Please, believe me when I say this. I won't hurt any of you."

Tears sprang from Emily's eyes as she pulled away. "Mom, I have to go. I'll see you all later."

"One more thing, Emily," Sasha said while standing in the same spot.

"What?" she replied, her back turned to him as she put her shoes on and grabbed her purse and iPod.

"I am changing some of the rules at the gym. You'll know more about them tomorrow, but I've decided to let you girls date…if you want to. I think it would be a bigger distraction to like someone and not be with them then to actually date."

Emily contained a smile, still upset with the events that were unfolding. "Cool, whatever." She walked towards the door, "I'll see you at practice, _Sasha_." With that, she opened the door and walked out. She started to run…running from the house…running from change…running from the fear that consumed her. She ran as fast as she could to the only person who could bring her comfort...Damon.

….

Damon was getting a late night snack from the freezer…double chocolate ice cream when someone knocked on the door. He sighed as he headed over to the door, his ice cream and spoon still in his hand. He looked through the peephole and saw it was Emily crying in front of the door.

"Emily," he whispered as he opened the door and pulled her into a hug. "Are you ok? What's wrong?"

Emily kept her face against his chest and sighed, trying to gain composure. "Damon…I don't know what to do anymore."

"What happened? Is everyone ok?"

Emily shook her head as she tried to figure out how to tell Damon what was going on. He probably wouldn't see a problem with Sasha dating her mom…and he'd be very happy to hear she'd be allowed to date openly…but her emotions couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't trust men…she couldn't trust anyone.

Damon led her to his room and let her sit on his bed. He closed the door to his room so Jasper wouldn't wake up and then climbed on the bed beside her. He quietly waited for her to feel ready to talk. He didn't want to push her.

Several minutes of just sitting there, and his ice cream melting, Emily looked up at him, "Sorry for the breakdown. It's just a lot for me."

"Want some double chocolate ice cream?" Damon asked playfully.

"Sure," Emily giggled. It was so hard to be sad whenever Damon talked. He brought two emotions…happiness or anger…never sadness…unless she hurt him.

Damon scooped up some ice cream and fed it to her with a smile. Once she swallowed the mouthful, she spoke her mind. "So, now Sasha Belov, my coach, is dating my mom. They've been dating for about a month and just now decided to tell me. He said he didn't want to tell me and my brother until they were sure it would work out because he didn't want to tell us and then end up breaking up with her a week later."

"Well, that was considerate," Damon thought aloud.

"You think so, Damon? I think they should've been polite and respectful enough to tell Brian and me when they started dating. We have the right to know."

"Yeah, but he was taking your feelings into consideration. I mean, think about it. You know more than anyone how many boyfriends your mom has tried to be happy with, Emily. I'm not trying to speak any lower of her, but if you know how fast the guys come and go, you should see that Sasha didn't want to be like the other guys. He wants to be different from her other boyfriends. He wants to gain your trust and your brother's trust. Give him another chance."

Emily looked down at her hands as she thought about what Damon said. She never thought of it that way. Sure, Sasha tried to tell her he respected her mom, but she couldn't let herself believe him. When Damon said it, it made a lot of sense. "You really do understand the way men think," Emily observed.

Damon laughed, "I am a male. Give me credit girl!" The two laughed again, and then Damon gave her another spoonful of ice cream. "So, what else went on?"

"Well, it's kind of good news. Sasha decided to let the girls date if they wanted to." Emily looked up at Damon to see a huge smile on his face.

"That's awesome Emily! We are a real couple…if you'll have me."

"Of course I will Damon. You are so my man. I'm not giving you up that fast," Emily replied as she cuddled to him. "He said there was more rules he was changing, but told me that would wait until tomorrow."

"I really like this guy. I can't complain."

"What if he makes us practice more? Then we wouldn't get to see each other ever."

"That's no different from right now, right?"

"Yeah, I guess you are right. I wish I could spend more time at work. We really need the money."

Damon kissed Emily's forehead, "Just calm down. I'm sure it'll all be fine." Just then, the front door opened, making Damon turn towards the door. "Shh, Emily. I think Razor's home."

Emily looked at Damon's closed door, hoping Razor wouldn't open it. She didn't want him to see the two together like this…she wanted to be invisible.

Damon got up from the bed, "Stay there, Kmetko. I'll be back." He left his room and she heard him talking to Razor. "Hey Razor, what's up? You're home late."

"Yeah, Payson's really depressed. I'm trying to keep her positive, but it's really hard."

"Well, I hope she gets better. It's got to be rough for her. She loved gymnastics so much."

"Tell me something I don't already know, Damon." Razor sighed heavily, "Look, sorry for being kind of short. It was just a long day…and I don't see her getting any better. She beats herself up every day. It's almost useless now to try to make her smile."

"Just give her some time. She'll come around."

"Yeah. Well, hey, what are you doing up late?"

"Oh, nothing really. I'm just chilling in my room. I had a hard day, so I'm just trying to unwind."

"Is Jasper asleep?"

"I think so," Damon replied smoothly.

"Ok, well I'm going to take a shower…and then I'm going to bed. I'm exhausted."

"Alright, Razor, I'll see you in the morning." With that, Damon headed back into his room, and locked the door after entering. He climbed back on his bed and put his arm around Emily, "So, where were we?"

"I don't remember…but I think we were about to kiss for joy because Sasha was going to allow the girls to date."

"Oh, that's right," Damon replied as he set the ice cream on his night stand and pulled Emily half way on top of him so he could give her a nice kiss.

Emily rested her hands on his hard chest as she accepted the kiss. She let her arms explore his chest and stomach as his tongue explored her mouth yet again. Emily couldn't believe the muscles he had on him. He didn't seem like a guy who liked to work out, but at the same time, his body was well shaped and taken care of. When the two pulled away to get some oxygen, Emily took the liberty to lift his shirt up to his neck. "Man, Damon, I didn't know you had all these muscles! How'd you get them?"

Damon laughed and grabbed Emily's hands, "You aren't the only one that goes to the gym."

"Take you shirt off. I want to see your shoulders."

"Demanding are you," Damon joked again. He pulled his shirt the rest of the way off and laid it on the night stand by the ice cream. Emily gasped quietly as she admired Damon's tightly sculpted body. He had a six pack, and his chest was perfectly defined. His shoulders were so well shaped that made them appear as if they could support the world. "_No wonder Damon is so good at giving me a shoulder to lean on. He's got so much space,"_ Emily thought as a smile spread across her face.

"What are you smiling about?" Damon questioned as he traced her smiling face and pushed back the stray hairs that surrounded her face.

"You can support the whole world with these wonderful shoulders…yet you take the time to support and comfort me. I just can't help but wonder why."

"Well, that's easy, Emily. I love you. _You_ are my world, and with that… I support you," Damon's explanation was so heartfelt that Emily could see it in his eyes. "Why are you so surprised anyway? You've seen me without my shirt not too long ago. You wanted to see my scar," he pointed to the X-scar on his chest and smiled. "I deserve another kiss."

Emily looked up at Damon's clock and sighed, "I better go home. I don't want my mom to worry anymore. I'm not mad at her thanks to you. She owes you one."

"I'll call it even with her for all the precious information she gave me about you when we first met. I give her the credit for us dating. She opened the door for me. You can believe it or not…but I give her the credit."

Emily laughed at the remembrance of their first few encounters. "Yeah, well, I still blame her for those comments. I'm still paying for them."

"Want me to take you home? I'd hate for you to walk alone this late at night."

"Sure, I'd love a ride."

Damon pulled his shirt back on and gave her one more kiss. "You can keep the ice cream," he whispered against her lips.

…

Back at Emily's home, she saw the light in her living room still on. "I bet mom's going to want to talk to me about this whole thing. I guess I'll let her know I went to be with you…and let her know that you talked to me about everything, and now I understand it was for the better."

"You're mixing up your peanut butter and chocolate?" Damon teased.

"Don't start, Damon," Emily joked as she got off his motorcycle.

"Go in there and let her know you saw the light."

Emily walked into the house and was about to close the door when she heard tires squealing and then…CRASH!

Running out of the house, Emily, Chloe, Sasha, and Brian all saw the outcome of the crash. Damon was sprawled on the parking lot, bleeding from several places; Emily could see the blood flowing from his face into his already crazy head. That wasn't what got to her, her blood ran cold when she realized he was not moving. There was a car to the side of him, which everyone figured was the car that caused the accident. It was stopped in the middle of the entrance to the parking lot as the driver ran out of the car and to Damon's side. Finally, Emily was able to move. It was an older man who was trying to move Damon.

"_Damon…DAMON!_" Emily thought as she rushed to his side as well. When she turned to see her mom at the entrance of their apartment room, she saw Sasha already had his cell phone out and was calling the ambulance.

…

**A/N: Well, here's another chapter of MIOBI under my belt…and I owe it all to my readers and reviewers. You guys make it possible to write these chapters…and I love all those wonderful reviews I've received ever since I started!**


	9. Chapter 9: A New Kind of Complicated

**Chapter 9: A New Kind of Complicated**

The accident was serious, yet not too terrible. The older man was pulling into the parking lot and looked down for one second before colliding with Damon's motorcycle. He wasn't going extremely fast, which saved Damon's life. At the hospital, Damon talked to the police and said he wasn't going to press charges. He came to this decision after the old man accompanied him to the hospital and paid for all that needed to be done. Damon saw that the man truly felt horrible for the accident, and that's just what it was…an accident.

Emily stayed with Damon for the entire night and stayed all of Sunday. Though he slept most of both days, Emily joined her boyfriend on the bed and watched Sweet Home Alabama and a few other semi-classic romance movies on the TV. Nurses continually entered the room to dress his wounds again and check up on his vitals.

His wounds were scattered, and the degrees of the wounds weren't consistent either. He had several simple scratches and bruises over his entire left side where the impact occurred, but he also had a deep gash on his left forearm that reached through to his bone. The gash was the length of half his forearm, from his elbow to the middle. His right wrist was severely sprained from the fall and was held tightly by a brace, and he had a slight concussion from the landing; he was saved from worse head damage because of his helmet. His face didn't come unharmed. He had a black eye and a bruised lip, but the worst was that he needed two butterfly band aids on his left cheek. He also had two broken ribs on his left side, and his right leg had been completely dislocated. None of his internal organs were damaged, even with the broken ribs, but the nurses and a few doctors would visit Damon regularly in order to make sure he stayed that way.

Damon woke up on and off during the movies Emily watched, but wasn't much for communication or emotion. He sat very still and explained once that any movement made the pain worse.

Sunday evening, Damon's mom came to the hospital and told Emily to go home and rest. She was reluctant, but Sasha and Chloe arrived in order to take her home. Just as she was leaving, Razor entered the room. "Hey, how's he holding up?"

"He's been really bad. He's been out of it most of the day and only wakes up when he needs the bathroom. He hasn't eaten or anything; he looks really bad."

"Do you need anything?"

"No, they're practically forcing me to go home, but I'll be back after practice…and any chance I get."

"Yeah, take care of yourself Emily."

"You too Razor. It sure seems like you've seen enough of hospitals to last you a few lifetimes."

"I agree, but I'll live so long as I'm on this end of the hospital."

"So true. Well, I'll see you around." With that, Emily walked back to the car with Sasha and Chloe and slept in her own bed. She tossed and turned the entire night as she dreamed about the accident and the injuries Damon sustained. The bruises and black eye on his pretty face hurt Emily more than she expected. She wished with all her might she could be with him, but understood that would have to wait until practice was over the next day.

Monday's practice came and went without much excitement. Sasha called the girls in just after 5:00 at night and began sharing his new ideas for the girls. "I have a few things I would like to change here at The Rock. Starting this week, practices will be changed in order to better enhance your performance."

He could hear the girls groan a little at this remark, and he assumed it was because they thought he would make practices longer. He simply cleared his throat and continued, "So, effective immediately, we will have practices three days a week, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm. Today I'll let you all out early to show you my kind nature. Also, the gym will be open on Saturdays from 7:00 am until noon for those girls I would like to work extra with. If you would like one-on-one training, I suggest you come in after that. I would say from 1:00 pm to 6:30 pm, you could come to my trailer and ask me to help you on any one routine you wish."

The girls burst out cheering and claiming Sasha was the best coach ever. He smiled and continued. "There is another rule that I would like to adjust. This is one I am choosing with caution, but from the discipline I've seen all you girls obtain since I've started coaching, I believe this is my way to show you how proud I really am. I am lifting the 'no dating rule' and in place am allowing you to date who you please.—" He was cut off by more shouts, screams and cheers from the girls. "Hold on, hold on. My restriction is that you each keep a clear and level head in dating. Take it seriously and don't mess around. You could ruin your career. Still, parties are acceptable, especially since there will be more as each of you girls are becoming more noticed by the press. This means that crazy parties will be seen and you will be caught in any scandalous activities that take place, ruining your good name and the gym's name." The gymnasts' faces fell slightly at his strong words and he tried to cover them with softer words, "I want you all to enjoy gymnastics and if that means letting louse at a party, than do so with discretion. Have fun and feel free to be yourselves."

Sasha took a deep breath and cleared his throat, "I also have one more announcement to make." He put his hand out, and Chloe joined him at the top of the stairs. "I am in a steady relationship with Ms. Chloe Kmetko, and I would like all of you to know this. It will not change how I treat any one member of the team, and I promise I will not let my personal life affect practice time, discipline, and teamwork. Is that understood?"

Instead of the expected grumblings, the girls cheered yet again, "Whoop whoop! Go Sasha Belov!" He was shocked by this reaction and couldn't help but smile.

"So, today you all have it a little easy, tomorrow I won't see any of you, so that means Wednesday means serious business. Be ready to come here and work hard!"

Several days after the accident, Damon was ready to go back at home. He was tired of the doctors and nurses coming in at such odd hours and he wanted some real food. Sure, his jaw was sore and he couldn't eat much of anything, but he was tired of the chicken broth and longed for something with real meat. His arm still had stitches that wouldn't be removed for a long time and he couldn't move much because of his still healing ribs, but he wanted out. He just couldn't sit around anymore. Increasing his desire to escape the hospital, Emily had teased him saying that the nurses and doctors were trying to flirt with him. He couldn't believe such an accusation, but still was becoming quite paranoid by their constant touches. Damon only just shuddered at the thought, "No one wants me, Emily. I'm sure they just want to get a peek at you, an Olympic contender," was his simple reply.

He had a few hours left; he signed the release papers, called Razor to pick him up and was now waiting on the Doctor's final ok. As he waited, Emily sat beside him on the bed. "Want to watch a movie before we leave this place?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Oh, I don't know, just something," Emily teased as she moved and straddled over his legs. Leaning forward, she let her lips gently brush against his, feeling his chapped and needy lips. Licking them, Damon opened wider giving her the access she needed. She explored his mouth in wonder as she lowered her body down towards his waist. Each gave a soft moan, making it hard to control. Damon slipped his hands over her body and into her hair, twisting his fingers through and pulling her down closer. She deepened the kiss easily and pulled his tongue into her own mouth. Teasing his tongue with hers, she played for the dominance that she knew was hers. Her rock star was in no real strength to fight and take control, though he really would love to.

Slowly, Emily pulled away with a smile as she ground her body lower against him. He lover let out another moan making Emily think of what she wished could happen. "How about that movie?"

"Go to hell," Damon teased as he slipped his right arm around her waist.

"You know we can't play too rough. You could get hurt."

"So? I'll still live."

"Yes, but I want you better…that way we can really _play_."

"Fine, you win."

"I always do."

"Not for long."

Emily smiled and laid at his right side and turned the TV on, flipping through the channels. It landed on The Titanic and both settled to watch it until Razor showed up…..

Now that Damon was finally home, he savored his space…his privacy…his room…his house. He could do whatever he pleased and no one could tell him otherwise. He enjoyed the freedom and was glad to have his own space back. Even with Emily in his place, he still felt his freedom. He wanted to do something but knew he couldn't really exercise. He was still too injured for that. "What should we do?" He pondered out loud as he entered the kitchen with his hot chocolate in hand.

"How's about a nice hot bath and massage?" Emily suggested.

"Really? That sounds splendid, but you think so?"

"I really hope you say yes," Emily answered with a wink.

"Then by all means Miss, lead the way."

Razor left Payson's hospital room around 4:00 in the afternoon because of the band practice him and the rest of the Shelter Pups' gang seriously needed. He headed out with a gentle kiss on Payson's cheek, "I'll come by in the morning, Pay. Take care."

Shortly after he left, Payson drifted off to sleep…dreaming about all her gymnastic experiences. So much had happened, and there was so much possibility. She invested so much into her gymnastics, and with one problem, she ended her career and life prematurely. Now what was she going to do? Where was her life going to go? She saw Nick Russo as he practiced every day. She noticed him a lot while she was training, but it was not even a possibility, _but now_? No! She couldn't do it. It would be too difficult. He was still not allowed to date, and they already tried it. Things just didn't feel right. _She was happy with Razor, right?_ She hated second guessing herself, but what else could she do as she sat in the hospital room? She had another week and then she'd be out. Then where would she go? School? Yeah right.

By 7:00 pm, Nick parked his car in the guest parking lot and entered the building hesitantly. Ever since Payson was hospitalized, all he could think about was the cortisone and how he made her risk her career, and even more…her _life_. He wanted to help her, and he thought if she had the cortisone, she would be by his side as a National Champion. She would've won. He hated Kaylie for that. To him, Payson deserved it more than anyone else. She and he both trained harder than everyone else in the gym, possibly in the country, but he got silver…and she lost everything. In his mind, they both lost.

Knowing it was past visiting hours, he was welcomed by a quiet and empty room except for Payson. He slipped in the room and knelt by the bed she was sleeping on. She looked very uncomfortable, lying straight on the bed. He sighed quietly as he took her gentle hand in his. First, it was just a touch, but then he let his hand envelope her hand. His thoughts went back to just how different he was from Kaylie and how he was so much like Payson. Kaylie, the National Champion, was too easily distracted. Nikki wanted to focus…he _needed_ to focus in order to win. _Could Kaylie really understand that?_

There was another guy with Payson at Nationals; he was cheering for her like Damon cheered for Emily. He didn't know she was seeing anyone. Of all people, he thought Payson would keep to the rules more than anyone else. Ever since that night, the night that he kissed Payson after dinner, Nick couldn't think of much else. She brought joy to him every time she entered the gym and gained the respect and honor from all the gymnasts, even if she didn't ask for it…the respect was there for her…and he loved that about her.

So much went on in his head at that moment. He cared for Payson and he wanted to be with her, but how? She lost gymnastics; was it fair to ask her to _watch him_ obtain his goals? Was it fair for him to rub her loss in her precious and delicate face?

_(Payson's POV)_

I was half startled when I felt someone touch my hand, pulling it into the comfort and warmth of their own. I blinked slowly so I wouldn't alarm the person giving me such a caring touch. I thought it was my father until my eyes were completely opened. There, by my bedside, Nikki Russo was holding my hand in his, and then slowly moved his lips to brush my hand sending electric currents pulsing through my body. I wanted to sigh, but I held it in so as not to scare him. He seemed to be in pain, but for what, I didn't know. I wanted to ask him, hug him and tell him everything would be alright, but reality hit…nothing would ever be alright. Not for me anyway. I didn't move when I felt a few tears fall to my hand. _He was crying?_ This alarmed me for a moment, but the feeling passed as he pressed light kisses on my hand, making it feel like butterflies fluttering by in a warm spring day.

After several minutes, he finally cleared his throat and wiped his eyes. I took that moment to flutter my eyes to "wake up." I looked into his dark eyes that were so easy to get lost in; I didn't know why I was feeling this way. I was not one to think on romance, but something about Nick and Razor was bringing these emotions out of me. I thought I didn't want to be with Nick…what changed? "Nick, are you alright? Why are you here?"

"Oh, huh sorry Payson, I just wanted to see if you were ok." He sat on my bed and we remained quiet for another minute. "So, I hear you'll be out in a week. That's great, huh?"

"I'm not too happy. I mean, I won't ever be allowed in the gym again. So what's the point? I'll just be home, doing nothing."

"You don't know that Payson. There are plenty more doctors. I mean, there's an amazing doctor in L.A. Maybe you could go see him?"

"I'm done with doctors, Nick. It takes too much out of me. If he comes here, maybe I'll see him; if not…I doubt I'll make the trip. Thanks for the offer though." Once again, the silence drug on.

Nick took my hand once again and squeezed it gently. He had a faraway look, and it got me wondering why he was really here.

"Why did you come? Really?"

"I need your help, Pay. I can't seem to forget you. The kiss we shared…that's got me distracted beyond belief. And now, well, I can't seem to stand Kaylie. I thought there was so much more to her. I thought she deserved to be at Boston, I thought she would be different, but she's like so many other girls. She's more focused on the beauty of fame rather than fighting longer and harder to be the best. How did she win anyway?"

Hearing him talk down about Kaylie made me hurt inside. She won the Nationals. She _deserved _to win. "Look Nick, Kaylie worked hard and she won Nationals fairly. She beat Kelly Parker who used cortisone. She won because she trained hard every day. She was in the gym, training, trying to be better than what people saw her to be. She wanted to be the best…and she finally is. You should be proud, not look down on her."

"Yeah, but Payson, you haven't seen the way she is now. She's all concerned about what our agents want or what photo shoot we have to be at. She's so focused on selling herself; she doesn't have time to train seriously." Nick took a moment to gather his composure and looked straight into my eyes, "Pay, I know you said we couldn't be together, but I need you. I need you to take back what you said that night. Give us another try. Ever since we came back from Nationals, things have changed, people have changed…even the Rock has changed! It's all been chaos since you left. Please come back."

"I can't Nick. All I can do is help you see just how important the change may be. I love you Nick, and I care about you. I want to help you see that the future is changed now. You can move past this, you can do better. I believe in you, and so does the Rock."

"Pay, I don't believe in myself anymore. Seriously, I trained so hard, and for what? The silver? It's so tough, but it's not even fair for me to complain, because, well," his eyes glazed over as tears threatened to spill once again. "You've lost it all…and I can still fight for my dream."

I lost the little strand of control that was holding my being. I put my hands on his cheeks and rubbed his skin gently. Tears flowed smoothly down my face as I pulled him down to me. Pulling him closer, I kissed his cheek and felt his muscles tense under my touch. To ease the stress, I moved to his lips and gently parted my lips, inviting him to me. We both paused, wondering if this was the right move. The hesitation and worry only lasted a second. His lips rested on mine for a moment before inviting me in completely. The way his lips moved against mine was perfect, as if they were one, as if they were two puzzle pieces finally fitting together magically. I didn't know what came over me…why I felt it was wrong the first time when it felt so right, now…in this moment.

My heart was jumping, my blood rushing, and electricity was shooting through me; surely, Nick could feel it as his lips moved with mine. He must have felt the impact this kiss was giving me. My hands moved from his soft, gentle face to his course, short black hair—it was just long enough for me to grip gently…increasing the feeling for the moment. Just a second later, his fingers were locked in my golden mess on the pillow.

We were together several minutes, but each hesitated as we finally pulled away, both needing air in our near empty lungs. It was hard for me to breathe when I saw his blushing face as I recognized a lump in my throat. I couldn't help but smile though, knowing my face had the same light pink glow.

After catching our breath, I let my hand rest on his muscular and toned arm. "You _need_ Kaylie, and right now, I _need_ Razor. This kiss was fantastic, I'll never forget it, or our time together, but Nikki, there are people that need us, and people we need. Right now, neither of us understands this, but I promise. Give Kaylie some time. She'll come around and realize what she's got…not just in gymnastics. And you, well, you'll see what happens next. You can't _not_ love Kaylie. I see it in _your _eyes.

Driving up to the two story house that had an attached three car garage Damon Young turned off his car radio and parked the car before jumping out and grabbing his backpack full of band music and stuff. It was now about 8:00 pm and after Emily left his place, Damon decided to crash the band practice.

He barely got out of the car when he heard, "Damon! You made it! Hurray!" The girl with jet black hair in curled pigtails jumped on him. Her small frame was easy to carry to the door way, even with his injuries, but difficult to pry off.

"I see you got some hot blue and pink colors added to your already gorgeous hair," Damon mentioned as he finally pulled her off of him, revealing slanted eyes that were dressed in emo-style makeup, bringing out her shiny blue eyes. "And, yeah I made it. You think I'd miss practice?"

"Huh, yeah, I thought you'd ditch to be with _Emilyyyy!_"

"Well, I made it Miss Viá (pronounced like the letters V and A), Hun. Are you ready to get this party started?"

"I sure am! It's a full band practice! We've all been practicing but we can keep it up now that the prodigal has arrived!"

"Awesome, let's get started then."

_(Emily's POV)_

I was walking through the neighborhood, looking for a place to chill. It was the next area over from our apartments, so surely it would be far enough from my mom to have her butting in. I walked aimlessly around when I realized a car similar to Damon's driving up to one of the houses. I stopped behind the tree I was near and looked. Sure enough, Damon came out of the car! I was really surprised to see him and was going to call out to him when I saw this 5'2" Asian girl jump all over him and kiss his cheek. I was stunned; I couldn't move…the worse thing was that Damon didn't even push her off until he was at her front door. They exchanged a quick conversation before entering her house…_hand in hand!_

_What was Damon doing? Was he cheating on me? I thought we decided to be official. Was he really tired of me?_ So many thoughts ran through my head, and the carefree evening was shot to hell. Now, there was more to be concerned about. I thought about calling him, seeing if he'd lie to me when I asked him where he was at, but then, I didn't want to know…I was worried he would lie to me, and that would just hurt all the worse.

When Emily got to the Pizza Shack the next day, Damon was swamped by hungry people ordering their meals and Razor was busy making and cooking the pizzas. She slipped in and began helping Razor without saying so much as a "hello" to either of them. Damon was acting as if nothing was wrong. He was casually taking the orders and putting them on the counter for the two to work on. Emily thought he'd at least stop to say "hi" to her, but he didn't. It wasn't until after all the orders were finished, and half the pizzas were out when he turned back to his girlfriend, "You're awful quiet Kmetko. You ok? Was practice that bad?"

"No, practice was great. I just have a lot on my mind right now," Emily replied coldly as she turned to the oven to see if another pizza was done.

"Do you wanna expound on that?" he questioned when she didn't say anymore.

"I don't know right now. Maybe, but I'll have to think about it."

She saw Damon look at Razor with a puzzled look from the corner of her eye before continuing, "Huh, Emily, did I do something I wasn't aware of?"

She didn't answer. Instead, Emily opened the oven and pulled out another pizza and set it on the counter. "Look, today's a busy day. Let's not get caught up in drama right now. That would be really appreciated. I have a lot on my mind and I need to sort it out on my own!" The statement was half shouted as she put the pizza in the box and roughly handed it to Razor before giving him an apologetic glance for being rude to him. Razor didn't do anything; it wasn't Razor's fault Damon was a player. Emily couldn't blame him.

It wasn't until closing time that Razor turned to Emily, grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the back room, locking the door and leaving Damon in the restaurant portion of the building. "What the hell?" Emily shouted to him.

"That's what I'm about to say! What's with you Emily? You've got Damon freaked out."

"Well, he should be! I saw him hugging and holding hands with another girl! Did he think I'd never find out he's the type of guy to have _several_ girlfriends…and make them all _feel_ special! I'm just surprised he hasn't called me her name. I've gotta hand it to him. He's good and keeping everyone straight."

Razor stopped and took a step back, "He's cheating on you?" Her friend seemed almost as shocked as she was, and in a blink of an eye, he was out the door and punching Damon in the jaw. It took a second before Emily gasped, "He's still hurt from the accident!" She ran over to the boys who were already in a heated argument. Emily tensed up when she heard Razor raise his voice, "Are you such an arrogant jerk if you think you can two time Emily?"

"What are you talking about, Razor?" Damon shot back angrily as he straightened up from the impact of the hit that pushed him into the counter. "Why'd you punch me?" It was his turn, and he shoved Razor to the other counter and walked over to Razor for an explanation. He rubbed his chin before raising his own voice, "I'm not two timing anyone! What are you talking about?"

It was then that Damon turned and looked me straight in the eye; a pained look covered his face that tormented Emily. _Could she be wrong?_ Emily couldn't handle the emotion; she started crying and knelt on the floor, "I saw you Damon! Some girl was hugging all over you," she continued to sob a little bit more and rubbed her eyes; all the stress and emotion becoming all the more overwhelming. "You went to her house, holding her hand."

Damon still looked at me honestly confused. _Did he think I was that dumb?_ "What are you talking about? Who was it?" Razor and Damon were both looking at her when Emily shouted, "SOME SHORT ASIAN GIRL DUMBASS!"

Realization dawned on both boys as Damon dropped to the floor beside Emily and hugged his girlfriend.

"Don't touch me, Damon! So, you admit you were with another girl." Emily was furious and stood up dusting off her pants and turning around.

"Emily," Damon half laughed as he walked toward her and took hold of her arm. Emily tried to pull away, but he effortlessly turned her to face him. As she took a breath to yell at him, his lips crashed down on hers, completely taking_ all_ her breath away. Emily accepted the kiss at first, but remembering her anger she began beating his chest with her fists and pushed him away. Once his lips left Emily's, leaving coldness settle inside her, she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, "So, are you going to tell me the truth or lie?"

"Emily, she's _our_ band mate," he answered and pointed to Razor and himself.

"Sure, so you're cheating on me with a _band mate_?"

This made Damon burst into a laugh and Razor let his goofy smile show.

"Is this a game? Are you playing me?"

"No, no…" Damon tried to stop laughing but couldn't. Emily was getting angrier and clenched her fists before he continued. "Emily, she's like a sister/best friend. I can't see her as a girlfriend…that's just…well, not possible. Anyway, I went to band practice yesterday, and I hadn't seen Viá since last year. She left with her parents to take care of some family issues that came up after her grandmother passed away—which by the way turned into a huge dramatic soap opera for the family. It was like a reunion for us."

Emily saw the truth in his eyes and saw Razor nodding beside him. All of a sudden, she felt low. She was such a jerk to Damon all the time; Emily always jumped to conclusions about him. She was once again reminded in her own head about the time Damon went to the Cruz's mansion to deliver pizzas and she accused him of stalking her. Emily's head hung down as she realized she was overdramatic, like all other girls. Emily kept her head lowered from embarrassment as she whispered her sincere apology.

Damon put his hands on Emily's shoulders. Today, he wasn't upset with her. She has trust issues and without knowing it, he hurt her and almost lost her trust. "Hey, hey, don't be upset. It was an honest mistake. You didn't know who she was…you had a right to be mad. I should have mentioned we had a girl in the band." Damon moved to his precious love and pulled her into a hug, letting her rest her head on my chest. He felt so awful for not telling her about Viá, he should have remembered to tell Emily about her. At least everything was fixed up now.

"Ok Emily, we need to finish cleaning up. We can't let Razor do the entire job and get the money." Emily laughed and nodded as she slowly pulled away.

"Can I get another kiss first?" she asked sheepishly.

"Sure, and you can have as many more as you want after we clean up," Damon replied as he lowered his head down to Emily, kissing her forehead first, and then moved to her eyes, cheeks, nose and chin, before finding and tasting her sweet lips with a twist of salt from the tears she shed. "It's ok, babe," Damon whispered against her lips. "I'm sorry I made you worry. I hope it all makes sense now. You can come to some band practices if you want." After kissing a short while longer, they both got attacked with a bucket of flour as Razor cheered, "Damon and Emily in the Shack…K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

(_Nick's POV_)

I got to the gym early to clear my mind. I figured Sasha wouldn't mind me taking more time to train; he always wanted us to be there early and be more dedicated…and today, I needed it. I needed to blow off some steam and release some tension from my body. After talking with Payson, I wondered what the next step was. I wanted to understand what she was talking about, but it was so hard. I just couldn't wrap my head around it. After Sasha unlocked the door for me, he went back to his humble little trailer to finish off some paperwork and leave me in peace for a few minutes…possibly even hours; I was glad for the solitude and began stretching out my cold muscles.

After stretching for a short while and doing a few warm ups, I was anxious to actually get some training done. With that feeling, I headed over to the vault. As I started running toward the vault, just before I jumped, I saw Kaylie…standing in front of me…holding out her arms inviting me in. Immediately I stopped. I hit the vault and just stood there awestruck and my imagination taking over. _What did Payson do to me last night?_ I stayed there with her for the rest of the night comforting her and wishing her the best of luck. Now, I couldn't get Kaylie out of my mind. What_ was_ this rollercoaster ride I was on? And how could I get off?

I turned around and got back to the edge of the vault runway. Taking a deep breath and shaking my head, I tried again. I ran hard and got to the vault, jumping in the air and doing a double back flip, half spin, landed on the mat perfectly! My landing stuck and my posture was perfect! I was so happy…I couldn't believe myself…I did it perfectly! There was no time to celebrate; I had to train even harder. I then ran to the floor routine mat and stood on one corner. I imagined a hard routine of flips, tumbles and handstands that should wow the crowd and give me high points. After visualizing the routine, I started off…running, double back flipping with no hands and all other levels of difficulty added to the routine. By the time I finished, my body was drenched in sweat, but I couldn't help but smile. I did it. I completed a full routine without thinking of anything but the next move. It was very invigorating and I was glad to be alone…until I saw her.

(_Kaylie's POV_)

I figured I would head to the gym early because, one, I couldn't sleep and kept tossing and turning in bed and having weird dreams, second, I needed air. My parents were talking about so much of the past…how we did everything together…and how we were such a competitive family in every aspect. I didn't want to hear it anymore from my bed or from the breakfast table. I just wanted to be somewhere that I could be myself, express myself…my wants and deepest desires. I did that through gymnastics believe it or not…I did it through the floor routine most of all.

I saw someone's car in the parking lot, but couldn't remember who the car belonged to. I figured it was just a gymnast needing extra practice with Sasha; he loved calling people early whenever he could. When I opened the door and entered, my heart jumped into my throat. I saw Nick tumbling on the floor in all sorts of flips with all sorts of difficulty levels…mostly very difficult. His eyes were closed and sweat dripped off every muscle in his arms and chest. His body seemed to be shining from the sweat…making him look all the more attractive…though I didn't know why. After a run of tumbling, he did a wide handstand and stayed in the position for almost too long; he could probably have broken a world record if someone was keeping time. With each movement and each position everything seemed to be difficult for him. He was pushing himself harder than I had ever seen, and that was saying something for Nikki. He never took it easy. Gymnastics really was his life and he always gave it his all. I never saw him have an off day and figured if I hadn't by now, I wouldn't ever see one. I stood there for who knows how long when he finished the routine and stood in the middle of the floor mat smiling.

His smile dropped almost immediately when he saw me, but I couldn't be for sure where the red in his cheeks was coming from, whether he was blushing or just really hot. We both stood there for a moment, neither one of us moving. It took me a moment to get un-stunned, but I started the conversation, "So, what are you doing here so bright and early? I thought I could have this place all to myself."

"Sorry to disappoint, but I was hoping the same thing. I need to train, and it's easier to train on my own…you know, were there is _less_ distractions." I couldn't tell her I was trying to clear my head. She would think I was an idiot. Besides, I was trying to forget her…and with her standing here, in front of me, it would be very difficult…no, it would be impossible.

"Oh, well, I was hoping to get some extra training in myself. Maybe we can both agree to ignore the other. What do you say? Think we can pull it off?" My heart was beating like 100 miles an hour. I wanted him to say no, that he wanted to hang out, but then how possible was that?

"Ok, yeah. Let's just do our own thing. We both have a lot of training to work on to make the gold at the Olympics."

"Yeah," I replied as I turned around slightly annoyed. I wanted to get away from people addicted to the gold, but now I'm with Nick…the King of wanting Gold!

"Yeah, ok," Nick replied as he turned around and headed to the pommel horse for his next routine. He was really tired, but the strain on his body was a good thing. Nick needed to up his game. He needed to draw in _more_ focus if he was to beat all the other countries and get the gold. Nick wasn't only competing against the Americans; he was competing against the world. The young male gymnast powdered his hands and mounted the pommel horse, working intensely on his form, making it clear, precise and having smooth, flowing movements. As Nick did a handstand and turned, he saw Kaylie on the balance beam being the Princess she was. Her moves were so…royal. She had it all. She had skill, grace, and most of all…she had the beauty to win. He shook his head and continued his routine, tempted to close his eyes in order to concentrate.

(_Kaylie's _POV)

After doing a front flip and half twist on the beam, I pulled my pose and turned my head giving my neck full range. In that position, I could see Nick lowering himself from a handstand to his dismount. With his muscles flexed and his body tall, I almost groaned at the pleasure of seeing him but the displeasure of being so far away. I wanted to touch him. I wanted him to brush his hand against my arm, or through my hair. After the night in Boston, I wanted him to see me as a winner. I thought that would be the only way for him to accept me, but after I got the gold…he seemed very cold to me, and I couldn't help but wonder why. What did I do to upset him and make him pull away from me, when all I wanted was for him to pull me to him? My thoughts were on the hug he gave me at Nationals. That moment was the reason I made gold, and I wondered if he knew that. I figured now was as good a time to tell him…without all the other gymnasts around to ease drop.

I finished my routine quickly and completed an all too easy dismount before heading over to the water fountains where he was at. "Hey, Nick, I never got a chance to say thank you."

Turning to see what she was talking about Nick looked puzzled, "Thanks for what?"

"You know, for telling me it was my turn to shine. I wanted someone to believe in me, and it took a lot of will power to compete, especially after Payson's injury." I shook my head at the memory before looking back at Nick.

"Oh, it was nothing. You know, we've all gotta watch out for each other."

His reply stung, it was as if it meant nothing to him, "So that was it, you were just trying to pick me up for competition."

Nick thought a moment, wondering what to do now. They had only hugged, so what was the big deal? "Huh, what do you mean? Yeah, I saw you were upset and wanted to help you out. You won the gold though, so I mean, you got your priorities straight."

"So all that was a problem was my _priorities_ weren't straight? Oh, well in that case _thanks a lot_." I turned on my heels and headed to the uneven bars. How could he be such a spacer! I mean, did he not realize how special that moment was?

-…..-…..-…...-

Seeing Kaylie stomp away made pain tug at Nick's heart, "Hey Kaylie, wait."

He quickly walked over to the uneven bars where she was already doing her routine. She was completely ignoring him, so he decided to wait until she was finished with her routine. The level of difficulty on the bars was of medium difficulty, but it sure was flashy…just like Kaylie. After a daring dismount, Nick clapped for her and walked to where she was standing, "Look, I wasn't saying it wasn't cool that we spent time together the other night. I just thought you were done with guys. You know, after Carter and all."

Nick slid his hand on her shoulder, "It's difficult to say this, but I've been thinking a lot about you, and I'm kinda glad we got to spend time alone today."

Immediately Kaylie looked into his eyes, "You mean it? You enjoyed our time spent?"

Her eyes moved from his face to his hand on her shoulder, the gentle touch she was dying for, she finally got. A blush escaped to her face as she continued, "Look, I'm not _done_ with guys per say, I'm just…you know…taking it slower. It's hard because I do love Carter, but I'll never be with him, so I want to experience romance again…if that even makes sense?"

"Yeah, I guess it does," Nick replied looking at her small tender shoulder. "I guess I understand. I'm confused as to what I'm feeling, but I think we can work out the differences." He tried to sound as casual as possible hoping she wouldn't freak out too badly. It was his way of asking her to try to be more than friends.

"So, I guess we've got some weird ideas. But sure, maybe we _can_ work it out together," I replied with a wink as I sauntered back to the water fountain by swaying my hips slightly more than necessary.

Nick left her alone for a moment as he jumped onto the uneven bars. All he had left was to complete his uneven bars routine and then he would be completely finished with his early morning routine. After doing the entire routine with a few minor yet unnecessary mistakes Nick dismounted landing with an almost perfect landing. The male gymnast did have to give a small jump to keep in balance. After the landing he walked over to the floor mats and sat on the floor to stretch out again. Kaylie came and sat beside him, "Wow that was a great routine. I saw a few times when your knees unlocked, but it was still really amazing. How long have you been practicing this routine?"

"Well, I've done several varieties of this routine, this latest version I started working on last week. I still have more tweaking to do, but I think in another week, I'll have the difficulty and the glamour aspects of the routine perfectly. Then it will fall on my performance to see if it wins me the gold."

"Is the gold all you think about?"

"No, but…yeah, I guess so. I got kind of addicted to the sport a few years ago…actually, when I was about 10 years old. I loved gymnastics since I could walk, but after watching the Olympics one year, I was inspired beyond all imagination. This became my passion. I put aside all other sports; even though I loved basketball…I just pushed it away and trained for this. Now, it's my life."

"Wow, well I've been a gymnast since I was five. I loved the glitter and the glamour of it all. I loved dressing up and being the center of attention. As I got older though, I was stuck in that stereotype. For so long, all I cared about was how pretty I looked, that I didn't realize I was letting myself down. Now I'm trying to break the stereotype, but it's so hard…especially when everyone thinks Payson deserves it and thinks she would have beat me. I mean, am I that pitiful that people think I couldn't beat Payson?"

"No, I just think you shocked everyone. You kinda came out of nowhere."

"I've been training for so long though. I didn't _come out of nowhere_. I've been here the whole time; people just didn't take me seriously."

"I guess you're right. Sorry I jumped to conclusions. Can I make it up to you?"

"How?"

"I don't know, wanna train early every day? I can give you the one on one attention you need to get that fire in your gut and the muscles on your body. Wanna give that a try?"

"Sure."

Both stood and shook hands, "Truce than."

"Truce." Kaylie replied as she looked at their hands together and was almost overwhelmed. The touch was simple enough, but almost unbearable. Why was she falling for Nick? Was he even interested in a relationship? "You like rules don't you?"

"Some rules are meant to be broken," Nick replied with a sly smile as he pulled her hand closer to him and kissed her cheek.

**A/N: So, hey there everyone! I finally got up another chapter! There are a few things I want to mention though. My character, Viá, was inspired by a character by Miss Stacy Sea Cullen in the forum role-playing. The role-playing with the characters really got my mind going and gave me a few ideas including the scene between Sasha and Chloe in the last chapter, and the car accident.  
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**I want to thank everyone for reading this chapter and encouraging me through the reviews! I'm sorry it's taking long for me to post, but a lot is going on. I'll try to do better…but can't make any promises! I hope you all enjoy and have a wonderful season! **

**~Passionate Heart **


	10. Chapter 10: Focus, Focus, and More Focus

**Chapter 10: Focus, Focus, and More Focus**

Moving about the house, Brian smiled at his mom while she stood in the kitchen cooking breakfast for her children. "Hey mom. You're up early."

"I know honey. I want to take you to school and your sister to the gym…all in time of course." Her laughter was sweet as music to her son's ears this early in the morning. There was something that made her shine. Brian wondered why she was so happy, and such a change in her personality. The change was very easy to see. She was trying hard to be a better person, and it started with getting her life together through her work and her relationships. Chloe had been openly dating Sasha Belov for a few weeks now, and has been shining ever since. Not much has really come from their relationship but it was a nice change of pace for Brian. Things were going slowly and Sasha was giving them all the space and time they needed in order to get comfortable with him. Chloe's son, Brian, was usually calm about his mom's boyfriends, but this time it was different. Sasha only came over once for dinner. After dinner and a funny movie, in the living room, he left to his own place, simply kissing his date on the forehead or cheek, or on special occasions, a quick peck to her red lips.

"Well, I can't wait! The food smells wonderful!" It was at this moment that Emily entered the house from her early morning run. Brian turned to her and smiled, "Hey Emily, you better hurry up and take a shower, mom is actually making breakfast."

She looked tired from her run, but still smiled as she removed her ear buds, "I'll get right on that, Brian. You better get ready for school. Do you have your homework all done?"

"You better believe it." he replied back as she headed to the shower.

Kaylie and Nick began their private practice and focused more on how to improve Kaylie's power and grace. It had been a few weeks of them doing their morning practices and she was already improving. She still had a lot to work on; she had the flare, but needed the power to even out her routine. Nick made her do an extreme workout of lifts, chin ups, pushups, handstand walks, and finally sprints to run her heart rate up.

"Kaylie, you got it," Nick encouraged as she was doing her third set of chin ups. "You have just five more…four…three…push it, push it…two…one…there you go! Great job."

Kaylie got down and stretched out her arms and sides. "What's next?"the gymnast huffed.

"First, you get a water break…and then you do a few sets of suicides. I'll run it with you."

"You really are going to kill me, aren't you," Kaylie replied exhaustedly as she walked over to the water fountain.

"You got just a couple more circuits before you can go back to actually doing your gymnastic routines. Strength is the key. If you can get that now, you'll have a greater advantage over many other girls. If you can do the double Arabian flawless, and maybe add another twist at the beginning of the routine without losing stamina, you would have an almost unbeatable level of difficulty. You could even try for an additional twist at the finale of your routine instead of at the beginning and show everyone you still got spunk."

"Well in that case, let's work even harder." Kaylie was actually enjoying her training. She could see the results paying off. Her jumps were higher, her landing were better, her flips were higher. Thanks to Nick Russo, she was becoming a better gymnast and a true Olympic contender.

Damon began working his shift at the Shack as he saw Brian enter the place with a few other kids he assumed to be Brian's classmates. "Hey there Brian. How's life treating you?"

"I'm doing really good Damon. What about you?"

"Oh, I'm still alive, so I can't complain too much," Damon laughed. "What can I get you today?"

"We'll get a large hand tossed meat lover pizza and an order of bread sticks."

"Alright, what do you guys want to drink?"

"Can we get five Strawberry Fantas?"

"Of course," Damon replied as he punched the buttons on the cashier. "It's on the house today." Damon pulled out his wallet and paid the bill.

"That's not _on the house_," Brian answered with a smile. "Thanks though." Turning to his friends he said, "This is Damon, a cool friend of the family, and Damon this is Johnny, Noah, Travis, and Sean; they're classmates of mine."

"Nice to meet ya'll," Damon replied as he turned to start the pizza.

"Same to you man," Travis replied. His mostly brown spiked hair swayed when the fan in the back blew over him, showing the accent colors of caramel and red. He stood out of the crowd because of his height. All the guys were just average for the most part, each with their unique style and presence. He looked the most like a jock…but a friendly jock as he smiled and grabbed the drink for Brian.

"So, what are you all like?" Damon asked trying to keep the conversation going.

"Well, I'm a crazy guy," Sean explained. "I love Parkour, and spend all my free time working out, and doing crazy stuff. I try to get into competitions around here, but just going around town while doing Parkour is fun enough for me."

"What nationality are you?" Damon asked a little curious by the teenager's accent and skin color.

"Oh, I'm half Dominican and half Cuban."

"Cool, that's really neat."

"Yeah, it's different. Actually, I've got some Korean blood in me, but it's less than a quarter, on my mom's side."

"Sweet!"

"Yeah, that's why we took him in," Noah spoke up. He was very cool looking…suave. He knew how to dress, how to fix his hair…he just knew how to pull off style. I could see him as metro, but at the same time…I wasn't totally for sure; at least he was a guy who liked to look good, and there's nothing wrong with that. He was just one of those guys you could easily hang out with and love to spend time with.

"We all have our interests. I play tons of video games, and I also love to draw. Brian and I go at the games for several hours at a time. Oh yes, and the only outdoor activity I enjoy other than outdoor concerts is snowboarding. My biggest junkie, though, is music. I love listening to music, and buying CDs. I think I have the largest record in the world." That's when Damon noticed Noah had green earbuds in his ears and an iPod clipped to his jean pocket.

"I'm in a band; I'll invite you all to one of our next gigs, and see if you like our music. We are kinda like a rock alternative band. I write a lot of the songs which is pretty fun. Our band sings quite a bit of 'hopeless romantic' songs."

"I'd love to hear you guys! I love listening to new stuff. New music is my heaven!" he laughed.

"That's awesome," Damon replied as he glanced over at Brian. "What about you man?"

"Oh, I watch them. I mean, I don't get out much, but they record their activities and send it over to me. It's pretty cool."

Damon nodded his head as he turned around to put the pizzas in the oven. "So, Johnny, what are you about?"

Johnny was Asian with an emo haircut but his hair was platinum bleached-blonde on the top layer and icy blue on the bottom layer. "Well, I'm a total snowboard psycho. I love the snow and I can snowboard, ski, or do just about anything in the snow. I am also a hardcore skater. Mostly, I'm the adrenaline junkie of the group!"

After Johnny spoke, Damon realized it was a GIRL! He couldn't believe his eyes and blinked a few times. Quickly, he composed himself, "You guys are all different, but still all hang out? That's really cool. How'd you all meet?"

"Gym class," Brian answered. "I just sit there, and for the most part keep score for everyone and do homework. The four of them kind of bombarded me and we all started talking. Then I noticed I had different classes with them, and then lunch we spend time together; we're at our lunch break right now. Johnny's like one of the guys easily. It's hard to remember she's a girl sometimes." The others laughed at that as the guys nodded and roughed Johnny up a bit.

She punched each of the boys in the arm, "How often do I gotta tell you, don't mess with the hair!" She laughed to show she wasn't really angry.

"With that gel stuff you wear, we can't move your hair, not even an avalanche could move it," Travis teased back.

Damon smiled as he pulled the pizza from the oven and took it over to a table.

"Yeah, we try to do stuff that Brian can join with us, but he wants us to do our stuff too. It's kinda hard, but we enjoy hanging out with him, so movies are a great way to hang out or concerts, competitions, or games." Noah spoke as he sat down.

"I don't think it's fair for them," Brian explained. "I mean, I get to live life in their shoes, so it's not completely selfless. Watching them snowboard or ski, or play sports, it makes me happy to see other people using their legs. It's really cool actually. I won't be able to do it, so it's great to at least watch it. I might see if mom will let me go with them one weekend up the mountain."

"Yeah, that would be cool, Brian," Damon chuckled. "Now, you guys enjoy your lunch, I gotta take care of the rest of the line coming up," he hugged Brian and headed over to the counter where a new line of people started to pour in for the daily lunch hour rush.

After practice, Emily jumped on the uneven bars and began her routine. Everyone was practically running out of the gym, but Emily was different; she had to stay. With every routine, Emily's growing anxiety was stopping her from completing her routines. She kept seeing herself fall from every area of the competition…and those images made her fall even more throughout the entire practice. Sasha tried to be patient, but after her fifteenth fall on the beam, he told her she _needed_ to stay later.

The words still rang in her ears as she jumped from the lower bar to the higher one: _"Come on Emily Kmetko! Focus! I need you to focus. The _team_ needs you to focus! After practice, YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE. I'll call your mother and let her know you'll be late."_ He'd been in his office or with other gymnasts ever since. He must've been very angry with her, but even without him near her, she had many more falls.

Kaylie, Nick, Carter and _even_ Lauren tried to help Emily with her routines, but nothing they said or did helped. Nick stayed the longest, being the most patient and not worried about what Sasha had to say to him. He had enough practice for himself, but even he couldn't help, and Emily politely asked him to leave before she broke down in front of him. Just as she felt the walls of her control cracking, and it being too much, she ran outside and didn't stop there; she ran a four mile run with no intention of stopping until she ended up back at the gym. She didn't even realize just how tired she was and how her muscles burned. It was near the end of practice when she got back to the gym, and decided to stretch out her throbbing muscles before starting back on her routines.

When 7:30 p.m. came around which signaled the end of practice, Lauren and Kaylie said goodbye and told her to call them and tell them how late practice went. Emily nodded and moved over to the bars, and that's what she was doing at the moment. She was visualizing her routine…without the falling.

Twist. Turn hands. Spin twice. Simple jump and turn. Another turn. Jump to lower bar. Slip. Fall to mat. "Damn it!" she yelled as she slammed her fists into the mat, her voice echoing in the empty gym. Immediately Sasha came out from his office.

"Emily, what's wrong?" he sounded genuinely concerned.

"I don't know. It's an off day I guess." She didn't know why it was so difficult for her today, but something was nagging at the back of her head.

"Why don't we go for a walk," it was more of a command, but she didn't want to.

"I need to get this down!" she half yelled, still frustrated.

He put his hands on her shoulder and looked deep into her eyes, "I want you to get out of here and go for a walk Emily Kmetko."

"I already ran to try to clear my mind, but apparently it didn't work," she explained weakly.

"I don't want you to clear your head; I want it to come out. You need to face your issues and worries. You can't bottle it up and hide it all the time. I want you to bring it out."

Emily nodded and got up, "Fine, just let me change my clothes."

"Good idea. I'll wait here."

It took about five minutes _walking_ for Emily to start crying, her walls slowly collapsing. "I'm scared, Sasha. I really am." She sobbed and hiccupped. "So much is happening all at once."

"What are you talking about, Emily?" he was pushing for Emily to really search her emotions.

"It's just everything. I mean, you and mom, Damon and me are getting super close, the pressure of being better than everyone thinks or expects, trying to be an Olympic contender, Brian who seems so calm, but must be getting frustrated with the fact that he can't walk or really do anything for himself, but still he's got to be supportive of me…the list goes on!" she was running her fingers through her hair as she tried to calm down.

"Brian is a strong kid. He's not going to look on the pessimistic side of life. He's a positive kid who is strong and uses the love of his family to move on in life. As for me and your mom, we'll go as slow as you need us to. I'm in no rush. I like slow relationships at first, and Emily, your mother loves you very much. If you can't handle us together, or if you don't like it, we'll call it off. It's as easy as that." Sasha was making her calmer as he explained things to her. "But whatever is going on between you and Damon…you need to work that out. I can't give you answers for that."

Emily shuddered at the thought. "I do this to Damon too much. I can't stand how back and forth I am with him. I mean, one day I'm head over heels for him, and other days, I feel like he's pulling me down or I'm not worthy of his love. What can I do? I don't want to keep hurting him."

"You wait until you are 100% completely ready for him. That happens in your heart, and more than that, it happens in your mind. Emotions change Emily, but if it's meant to be, the both of you will find a way to be together."

Emily nodded and hugged Sasha. He helped her a lot. She knew what she needed to do…but did she have the heart? "Why did you change the dating rules?"

"I'm sure many girls, including yourself, were considering to break that rule anyway."

"What should I do?"

"Like I said, I can't tell you that. However, if you're having second thoughts, think about this: if Damon loves you and cares for you like you deserve, he'll wait."

"What about the gymnastics? You're my coach. What advice can you give?" Emily was slowly getting stronger. She wanted to move past Damon. That would be the hardest thing to deal with.

"Don't worry or care what other people think. You should know that. You don't need to prove yourself to anyone…and if you think you do…that means you believe those narrow-minded ignorant people. Is that what you want to do? Do you want to be concerned about what other people think of you? You shouldn't worry about what _they_ think of you, but what _you _think of yourself and your progress. This is all you can do in order to overcome this fear you have."

His advice made a lot of sense, and got Emily calmer by the second. She knew what she had to do…and that was put the fear behind her. "Sasha, I have to go back to the gym. I need to get my routines done. I'll see you at the house later. I've also got stuff to take care of." She looked down at her hands and rubbed her palms together, "As for you and mom, you guys have been doing fine. I just get nervous I guess. I just don't want it to be awkward around any of us…gymnasts or adults."

"You don't have to worry about anything Emily. You have my word that our personal relationship won't have an effect with on our professional relationship. They will remain separate."

"Cool. Thanks Sasha." With that, Emily turned and headed over to the gym. Ideas ran through her mind as she began to think of what she had to do with Damon. She had to end it.

Each move had a newfound strength behind it. Emily was flying as she did her flips, twists, and turns. Her uneven bar routine went perfectly, without any mistakes, and her dismount was a perfect 10! She moved on to the vault and landed that with only a small hop to keep balanced. Afterwards, she worked on her beam routine. It was difficult and needed much concentration, but she got through it with minimal mistakes.

Finally, it was her floor routine. She let the music surround her the first time around, and then replayed it and began her routine. Her tumbles were all about the lines. She used the words to bring out a new emotion. Still, it didn't feel right. Half way through the routine, she decided to scrap it. She needed a new song…a song to show her inner battles, something to show just how much she was sacrificing for the sport. She didn't know the song at this moment, so Emily decided to call quits and face the facts. She needed to see Damon. She needed to tell him what needed to happen. How would she start?

….

**AN: sorry this chapter is kind of short. I need to end it at this spot though. The next chapter is sure to have a lot of drama! Besides, I have to figure out where all my characters are at this point. I need to add Lauren and Payson into the next chapter. **

**I really wanted to add more of Brian's life into the mix because I get so bummed out that the show doesn't include him that much. Here's a toast to the hopes that they will bring Brian in more! **

**Hope you all like the chapter. Please R&R! :) **


	11. Chapter 11:Till DeathDon't Make Us Part

**Chapter 11: Till Death, Please Don't Make Us Part**

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**A/N: Hey everyone! So glad to be writing again! I'm super sorry it has taken me forever, but I lost the desire to write and had writer's block for a long time. That's one of my continuous issues I suppose: writer's block. However, I am here and ready to write. I hope this chapter is a success and will help me process new ideas for all my stories! Thanks for the patience and thanks for coming along for the ride with me! I really do appreciate this! **

**Enough chatter…on to the next chapter of the story! **

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After taking a shower in the gym, Emily got dressed and pulled her hair into a high ponytail. She was scared to confront Damon, but she knew this is what she needed. She needed time, space and focus. It had been a great ride with Damon, many ups and downs, just like a roller coaster. She trusted him, and she knew he trusted her, but the timing was off. They needed to wait. At least that was her conclusion after considering all her options.

She walked all the way to Damon's apartment figuring that the Pizza Shack was already closed and cleaned and he and Razor would be back home chilling out. Because of the chaos leading to and after Nationals, Damon postponed his trip to L.A., and was now planning to leave in nearly a week. Emily considered waiting to tell Damon how she felt until after he had left, thinking it would be easier, but then decided she needed to have this conversation face to face. Damon deserved that much…for all he's done for her, for all he's put up with.

Emily put her earbuds in and turned up the music from her iPod as she pondered which song to use as her floor routine. She didn't want to focus on the conversation that was about to be had. She wanted a moment of calm before she brought more hurt to Damon than he could possibly bear.

-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-

Damon tossed his head back as he drank milk out of the carton. He was tired and wanted a hot shower and his bed, but he still had to pack for L.A. and work on a song. He needed to be prepared for any situation. If he got a shot at making a single hit, he wanted to be 100% prepared with a song to wow the crowd with.

He set the milk carton back in the refrigerator when he heard a quiet knock on the front door. Sighing, he walked up to the door and called out, "Coming." When he opened the door, his frown turned upwards quickly showing a sexy and inviting smile, "Well, hello there Babe. Come on in." Leaning towards her, he offered her a welcome kiss, but she turned her face and let his lips land on her pale cheek.

"Damon, we need to talk." She could see the suspicion in his face after he pulled away and let her enter.

"Well, that sounds promising," he replied with a straight face, closing in all his emotions. He had a bad feeling the entire day, and he figured it was time to taste what he was expecting.

This, however, was not what he was expecting. Emily sat on the couch across from him, "Damon, I've been seriously thinking about a lot of things. One of which involves…us."

"What about us?"

"I- - well, we- -Damon…" Emily shook her head viciously trying to erase the image in her mind. Her hair started to come out of the ponytail, framing her face as she tried to think of what to say next. "I can't do this. I thought it would be easier with Sasha giving the girls permission to date, but I can't do it. I need to be focused, and no matter what I do or how I try, I just can't keep focus or be consistent with you in my life." Tears began to drip from her eyes as she thought of her final words, "Please Damon, understand. This has to be goodbye for us. Here and now. Please…tell me you understand."

All blood fell from Damon's face, turning him ghostly pale. He listened in horror to those final words that he couldn't heal from. Her parting words were like a knife wound, in his heart; came straight from his back and into his heart, and pulled out so that the blood could simply pour out of him. It was completely unexpected and he had no idea of how to respond. His gaze dropped to the floor as his shoulders slumped and his head hung low. What was he to do now? She spoke the final words…parting words. There was no hint of hope in her voice, no hesitation. At least that's not what he heard. She had hurt him for the last time, and this was the most devastating blow anybody should have to endure.

Emily looked at her fingers as she intertwined them together and twisted them, waiting for Damon to say something. It felt like an eternity with the two…frozen in time, they were silently in their own world. She couldn't tell if he was angry, but she knew the words cut deep. Those were words she didn't want to say, but she felt them in her heart. She hoped, in time, they could try to figure something out. "I'm not saying permanently Damon, I just need time. I think we both need time. Can you give me that?"

"Get out," was all he replied. Still with his shoulders slouched and his head hanging down, he walked to the front door and opened it for her. He stepped to the side and waited there for her to leave.

Emily was in shock. He just kicked her out of his apartment. That was that, he took her completely serious, and without a word on the behalf of the relationship, he accepted it. Maybe he was ready to move on. Slowly, Emily stood and grabbed her gymnastics gear. She looked around the living room and kitchen that had several memories of date nights; she looked back towards his room, the door slightly open, and the light still on. She wanted to walk in there, and see it for the last time, but she knew he wouldn't allow that. Finally, she turned and looked at him. "Sorry, Damon, but-" she reached out to touch him, but he simply moved away. He didn't make eye contact with her and waited…simply waited.

She held in a sob as a lump rose in her throat. Still, she wanted to show him she was true to herself and in order to do that, she needed to be strong. She walked out the door and slowly walked down the hall. When she heard the door slam, she let out the breath she had been holding and took in a new breath. _This is for the best…for both of us_. She tried to convince herself.

As she continued down the hall, she heard something crash against the wall, and a stream of cuss words on the other side of the wall. She began to shake violently, afraid of his temper for the first time since she'd known him. She had no idea he would react in such a way, but she couldn't move. She stood there, listening to the chaos of the apartment room. More crashes were made before she heard two other voices trying to sooth Damon. It didn't sound like it was working and she felt her heart begin to speed. She didn't know what to do, and with a moment of adrenaline, she bolted down the hall, out the door and down the street, never looking back. The tears flowed free as she ran and her heart beat rapidly. She had no idea where she was running, but she sure hoped it would lead her far away from the apartments and eventually back to her own apartment building.

-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-

Slamming the door after Emily walked out, Damon lost it. He walked to the kitchen to try to calm himself, but his mind was clouded. Instead of calming down, he grabbed one of the barstools that were at the counter and threw it as hard as he could at the door. He cussed so strongly, that even sailors would blush, but that didn't stop him. He grabbed the next barstool and threw it at the door before walking over to the shelves and started throwing all the picture frames that contained a photo of him and Emily onto the ground or against the wall.

Getting startled, Razor and Jasper ran out of their rooms into the living room, thinking they were getting robbed, but when they saw Damon throwing the picture frames, they figured he had gone mad.

"Damon, chill out. What the hell is going on?" Razor questioned as he took hold of his friend's arm.

"Let the hell go of me!" Damon yelled back as he tugged away from Razor.

"Come on man, what's going on? Let us help ya. What happened?" Jasper asked with genuine concern as he walked closer to Damon. "What is going on?"

"Nothing!" Damon replied as he walked towards his room. "I just want to be left alone." He slammed his door and continued his cursing for a while longer. He tossed a few things around, and then opened his door slightly so the cats could leave his room so he could be completely and utterly alone.

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After several hours of fuming, Damon walked into the living room and saw the place all cleaned up and all the broken picture frames in the trash, while the photos remained on the kitchen counter. He walked over to the couch and picked up his precious kittens and pulled them close to his chest. "She's gone," he whispered. "She's gone for good. What am I going to do? I can't believe I lost it like that. I was so…I was so…. I'm an ass, and I'll never get the chance to apologize. I don't think she'll ever want to see me again…for sure." He carried the kittens and set them on his bed.

He returned to the kitchen and grabbed a bag of double stuffed Oreo cookies and the carton of milk. He also grabbed a small bowl to fill for the cats.

Once in his room, he poured the milk for his precious cats, opened the bag of cookies, and poured himself in his sorrows. His mind numbed again and let the tears stream down from his eyes down his cheeks and onto his shirt. He was lost; he didn't know what to do or what to think. All he could feel was utter agony. The only relief he was granted was the purring of his faithful and loyal pets. After a few hours, he was fast asleep, cuddled on the bed with his cats, and forgetting about the nightmare that was reality.

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After locking the bathroom door and being sure everyone in the house was asleep, Emily dropped to the floor and cried without end. There was no comfort to her for what she did. There was no solution of how to go about her new and dreary life, all that was offered to her was pain and agony for betraying the man she loved. He had been there for her, had helped her through her many issues, given her a chance to experience new life, given her the ability to trust again, and when all was said and done, all she gave in return was heartache and misery. She wished she could be certain that her decision was the best one, but nothing would be able to console her crumbling heart. She had ruined Damon's life, and soon he would be off to L.A. and fulfilling his dreams…with another girl at his side.

Damon was bound to get a beautiful girl. He had such a character once you got to know him, and he had the smile to capture any girl's heart. Emily shuddered at the thought of another girl kissing Damon the way she used to, hold him like she did, tease him or simply touch him like she did. Why did she always act so rash when dealing with Damon? Why didn't she just let him kiss her when she walked into his apartment and act natural…like nothing was on her mind? She was foolish and now all she could think about was his last words to her, followed by the commotion he began with the door closed behind him.

The tears didn't stop until Emily had fallen asleep on the cold tile of the bathroom. Emily woke up when Brian wheeled himself into the bathroom, turned on the light, and gasped when he saw her laying there, tear streaks down her cheeks. "Emily, hey, come on. Wake up. It's already 7:00 in the morning. Don't you have practice?"

"Ugh," Emily replied groggily. "No, I don't have practice, it's my Saturday off."

"Oh, well in that case, go to your own bed. The floor's cold."

"No thanks. I don't want to be comfortable."

Brian looked confused and shook his head. "Emily, what's going on? Do you want to talk?"

"No Brian, I'll be fine. I just need…to be alone. I want to be completely and utterly alone…no one to talk to, to hug, to laugh with…just alone."

"Emily, what have you done? Did something happen between you and Damon?"

"It's over Brian. I can't go back to him. He'll never take me back, talk to me, or anything. It's over for good."

"What happened?"

"I told him I couldn't date him anymore. Brian, I can't focus anymore. I just need to be free of him, and…well, he's leaving for L.A. so we can't be together anyway."

"Em, you don't mean that."

"Of course I do Brian. I can't do this."

"But now you're allowed to date. I don't understand what's your change of heart?"

"Because, Brian, I can't! We're a distraction to each other! I love him so much….I just want to be with him…completely his…I want him to take me with him, make love to me, and make us one. I've never felt this way before…with any guy, but here I am…feeling this way about Damon, and that just isn't healthy…for either of us."

"Sure it is Emily. That's the way life goes. You feel some things, you regret some things, but there are always experiences to be desired and had. It's just as simple and as complicated as that. You can't just leave Damon now. You both need each other. You are the other's compass, and without the other, neither of you will know true north ever again. I promise you that."

"I can't Brian. Not now, not ever. I just can't."

With that, Emily got up and left the bathroom, all new tears slipping down her pale cheeks.

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Waking up because of the soft meows of hungry cats, Damon groaned as he sat up. He ran his fingers through his hair and like a rushing wind, remembered all that happened the night before. He slowly got out of bed and walked groggily over to the bathroom where the cat food sat. He poured the food into their bowl and gave them fresh water before stepping into the shower. He let the water turn hot before letting it touch his body. He felt the steam come immediately, and the pain of the heat made him smile.

After the hot shower, he freshened up and walked back to his room where he cranked up his stereo with a Three Days Grace CD. The first song that was blasted was the perfect song for him:

_Pain, without love  
Pain, I can't get enough  
Pain, I like it rough  
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all_

You're sick of feeling numb  
You're not the only one  
I'll take you by the hand  
And I'll show you a _world__ that you can understand_

This life is filled with hurt  
When happiness doesn't work  
_Trust__ me and take my hand  
When the __lights__ go out you will understand_

Pain, without love  
Pain, I can't get enough  
Pain, I like it rough  
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

Pain, without love  
Pain, I can't get enough  
Pain, I like it rough  
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

Anger and agony  
Are better than misery  
Trust me, I've got a _plan__  
When the lights go off, you will understand_

Pain, without love  
Pain, I can't get enough  
Pain, I like it rough

_'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all_

Pain, without love  
Pain, I can't get enough  
Pain, I like it rough  
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing, rather feel pain

I know, I know that you're wounded  
You know, you know that I'm here to save you  
You know, you know I'm always here for you  
I know, I know that you'll thank me later

Pain, without love  
Pain, can't get enough  
Pain, I like it rough  
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

Pain, without love  
Pain, I can't get enough  
Pain, I like it rough  
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all

Pain, without love  
Pain, I can't get enough  
Pain, I like it rough  
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all  
Rather feel pain than nothing at all  
Rather feel pain

He let the songs play one after the other until his Linkin Park CD played even more harsh words of love and desired romance. He took a seat at his own desk and began writing words onto his notebook. He needed to clear his head, organize his thoughts and feelings. He needed his words to guide him one last time. This would be the greatest song because of the purest emotion he was pouring into it. He needed _this_ song to be perfect…his signature as an artist.

After several drafts and unsatisfying results, Damon's room was trashed with crumbled paper and his stomach growled commanding him to take a much needed break from everything. He couldn't think when the last time he felt this way. No break up had ever gone this badly, but for some reason, the way Emily did it set every nerve in a frenzy. Why couldn't she just be like any normal girl…wanting a normal relationship with a guy. Things could've worked out for them, and it would've. He needed her and she needed him. Couldn't she see that? He figured she couldn't…or else she wouldn't have broken up with him. Damon didn't know what to do. He was leaving in a week and needed to finish up at the Pizza Shack, but he didn't feel like doing anything. He left a note on Razor's door, asking if he'd tell the manager Damon was calling in sick, but felt too awful to call. Afterwards, he grabbed his notebook, a pen, his wallet and keys and headed out the door to his precious motorcycle.

Damon road for nearly an hour around the city. He wanted to find a place to write, a place to eat, a place to cry, but no place fit all his needs at once. He decided on the food first, before he would find a good place to cry while writing. It made perfect sense to him. He would go to his old high school and climb up to the roof…his special place where no one bothered him or found him, and there he would be able to free himself in every way necessary to move past Emily.

-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-

Emily wandered around town aimlessly. She told her mom and Brian that she was going out shopping, but that was only to keep them away from her. She needed to be alone. She needed to think, but there was nothing she could do to help the suffering in her heart. She began to second-guess her choice and hated herself for that. Those words were parting words that would not be easily forgiven. She couldn't just show up to his apartment and tell Damon to forget the entire situation. She had to stick with her decision. She needed to understand the necessity of her choice. She approached the Smoothie Shack and sighed. This was the only place she and Damon didn't go for a date. It was a place reserved for the gymnasts, and that made her happy…a place she could start without thinking of memories of her with Damon. Instead, she thought of how they _didn't_ have memories here. She was failing miserably at her attempt to stop thinking about Damon. He was occupying even more thoughts now than when they were dating!

She ordered a large Strawberry Banana smoothie before slipping into one of the seats. She contemplated her next actions. How was she to get Damon out of her mind. It was simple…she needed to get away…go to a place she wouldn't be judged and experience some sort of entertainment of life without Damon. A club…or a bar…which should she chose?

-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-

Damon finally stopped by a Rueben's Burger Bistro and ordered one bottle of Budweiser (for starters) and the biggest burger they offered. He wanted anything and everything on there with his side of French fries. Before he realized it, he downed the bottle of beer and ordered another. It was his way of coping with the situation. It was his form of getting over Emily Kmetko and learning to take life into his own hands.

After eating his meal, he ordered another similar order to go and decided to take it with him to the high school rooftop. He drove past a liquor store and bought a six-pack of Budweiser, a package of cigarettes and put them in the storage compartment of his motorcycle before continuing on to the high school. Once there, he sighed and took his belongings to his sacred alone place. It was a place he hadn't even taken Emily. It was a place where he could cope with any and every situation without the worry that others wouldn't accept him. He was himself completely and he never hated the place.

He set everything in order, his food to one side, his beer next to it, and his cigarettes in his hand. He contemplated the idea to actually smoke a joint. He hadn't smoked since his senior year and he never thought he would do it again. Still, he remembered just how much it calmed him after a stressful day with the endless boyfriends his mom had. Yes, she went through such a phase, and he hated every single one of those men. Damon didn't understand why his mom would date such guys, but it didn't matter…he didn't seem to care much about the past anymore. He just wanted to simply drown it away.

As he hit the pack, opened the pack, pulled out a cigarette and slipped it into his mouth, he sighed and thought back to his mom and her endless numbers of boyfriends. He wondered if it was because of his distaste for every one of them that his mom never remarried, or the fact that she was still in love with his father. He hoped she would be able to move past his jerk of a father, but his mom hadn't dated since he graduated. Maybe she didn't want a man anymore. Still, he wanted to give her that option. He lit the cigarette and dialed his mom's number onto his cell phone.

"Hello?"

"Mom,"

"Damon sweetie, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing fine mom, but I've been thinking…and a lot has been on my mind, and I need to tell you something."

"What is it honey. Is there a problem?"

"I don't know, but I hope not. Mom, I know I was such an ass while growing up, especially when you were dating, but I want you to know, I'm ok with it now. If you want to date, that's up to you…it's your choice."

"Thank you Damon, but after that phase, I think I need time to clear my head."

"Mom, you haven't dated since I graduated from high school. It's been a couple of years."

"I know, but I don't know if I want to date."

"Well, that's up to you, but I just want to let you know, I'll stand by you and your decision."

"Thank you honey."

"Yeah, well, I have to go, but take care mom."

"You too honey. I love you."

"Love you too, bye." Damon hung up and took a deep breath, inhaling the nicotine from the cigarette.

He took out a piece of paper and before he knew it, the words began to flow out of his mind onto the paper:

_I know I can't take one more step towards you  
Cause all that's waiting is regret  
And don't you know I'm not your ghost anymore  
You lost the love I loved the most_

I learned to live half alive  
And now you want me one more time

And who do you think you are  
Running 'round leaving scars  
Collecting your jar of hearts  
And tearing love apart  
You're gonna catch a cold  
From the ice inside your soul  
So don't come back for me  
Who do you think you are

I hear you're asking all around  
If I am anywhere to be found  
But I have grown too strong  
To ever fall back in your arms

And learn to live half alive  
And now you want me one more time

And who do you think you are  
Running 'round leaving scars  
Collecting your jar of hearts  
And tearing love apart  
You're gonna catch a cold  
From the ice inside your soul  
So don't come back for me  
Who do you think you are  
Dear, it took so long just to feel alright  
Remember how to put back the light in my eyes  
I wish I had missed the first time that we kissed  
Cause you broke all your promises  
And now you're back  
You don't get to get me back

And who do you think you are  
Running 'round leaving scars  
Collecting your jar of hearts  
And tearing love apart  
You're gonna catch a cold  
From the ice inside your soul  
So don't come back for me  
Don't come back at all

And who do you think you are  
Running 'round leaving scars  
Collecting your jar of hearts  
And tearing love apart  
You're gonna catch a cold  
From the ice inside your soul  
Don't come back for me  
Don't come back at all

Who do you think you are?  
Who do you think you are?  
Who do you think you are?

The song was a hard song to write and express but it wasn't meant for Emily. It was meant for the insecurities and the hate he had inside of him. He was in such an angst mood that he needed a release. He felt that the insecurities were going to suffocate him if he didn't make them leave. After writing the song he fell back and looked up at the darkening sky, wondering if it would rain and add to his blue mood.

-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-

Emily slipped into a club after standing out front for nearly two hours. The air became colder and the wind began to pick up in speed. She was in a shimmery green, knee length dress and black heels but was quickly considering this wasn't the best choice. She didn't need a rebound date, she was the one who broke up with Damon! Still, she entered the warm building and smiled at the darkness. She would just listen to the music…and relax. She would use this as her way of stopping the pain and ignore her feelings about going back to Damon.

Before she knew it, a guy called to her and pulled her onto the dance floor, "Oh, I don't really dance."

"Sure you do honey, that's why you're here."

"No, I'm really here just to drown out my own thoughts."

"Sure sweetie, just give me this one dance."

At this time, Emily actually took a moment to look at the man's face. He had striking ice blue eyes and a lazy smile. He had a slight beard and mustache and looked like an outsider. He seemed about 22 and wore a black cowboy hat, a white wivebeater shirt under a half unbuttoned dark blue dress shirt, dark blue jeans and cowboy boots.

"Are you from around here?"

"Yeah, just moved here…college."

"Really, what's the major?"

"Music," he smiled lazily again. "So, hows about that dance, darlin'?"

"I don't know…I shouldn't-"

"Well, why'd you come then? You know…to a club?"

"I wanted to hear the music. So, you sing?"

"Yeah. Hey, if I sing a song…will you dance with me?"

"Sure, if I like the song," Emily smiled and tossed her hair out of her face.

"It's a deal then. I'm glad it's open mic night." With that, he tipped his hat and walked into the crowd.

Emily walked over to an empty table and took a seat and was surprised when he came back and called out, "Hey, could you hold my hat?"

"Sure," Emily nodded.

"Thanks darlin'."

"No problem."

Once again, he disappeared before she noticed him set his dark hat on the table.

After the singer that was on the stage first finished and stepped down, a man walked up with a guitar in his hand. "Hey everybody, I'm new in town, just made a friend…but she said she'd only stay if she liked the song I sing. Well, here I go. I hope you like it, Darlin'."

Emily couldn't help but smile once again. He began to strum his guitar, his shaggy straight hair falling into his face. She saw a glimpse of his lazy smile before his voice made her eyes widen in shock:

"_Can I cut in on a dance?  
You ain't gonna find what you're lookin' for  
In that little Mexican  
You can't mix your tears  
With those from an agave plant  
You see I've danced with him myself  
And he's never been a friend_

You go believin' in your Lancelot  
Well it's all in vain  
And you're chasin' picket fences,  
There's always hell to pay  
I met many a girl in here  
With the same story line  
All them boys on those white horses  
Don't know how to ride

CHORUS  
But I got a paint outside with enough giddyup  
To be free  
I got a faint smell of cheap perfume  
And a hint of gasoline  
See I'm a different kind of knight  
You're gonna find your fairy tales are lies  
I don't have a white horse  
But you can come along for the ride

She said "I'm tired of living life in a romance book  
I think chivalry's dead  
And I ain't gonna look  
For them roundtable boys on the white horse  
That can't get the story right."

I said "as luck would have it  
I was tossed by the throne  
I let my Marion down  
Some years ago  
And I traded my coat of arms  
For a guitar and some broken yellow lines."

But I got a paint outside with enough giddyup  
To be free  
I got a faint smell of cheap perfume  
And a hint of gasoline  
See I'm a different kind of knight  
You're gonna find your fairy tales are lies  
I don't have a white horse  
But you can come along for the ride

She kinda shifted in her seat a little bit  
The thought of every eye on her bee-stung lips  
And she raised that glass and the lime  
And she kissed them goodbye

She said "promise me you'll take it slow  
And swear no talk of tomorrow  
And when you feel me tighten around you  
Well you can let the hammer down."

But I got a paint outside with enough giddyup  
To be free  
I got a faint smell of cheap perfume  
And a hint of gasoline  
See I'm a different kind of knight  
You're gonna find your fairy tales are lies  
I don't have a white horse  
But you can come along for the ride

Once his song finished, he tossed his hair out of his face once more and smiled. He knew the dance was his. "The name's Wes Ryland."

-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-

**A/N: The first song is: Pain, by Three Days Grace. Just so you know, I picked Jar of Hearts by Christiana Perri because it is just an amazing song and Damon could write a song like that! :) Last song: "A Different Kind of Knight" by Christian Kane. I love this song, and the guy's voice! He's super amazing! He's a looker too! Whoop whoop! :)**

**Though I like the idea of Wes…he can't stay. He's just gonna be here to help Emily figure out what she wants…who she wants. Hope you all like it! Once again, sorry it took soooo long to get this chapter up…I needed a lot of help! Thanks for the support and the patience! I appreciate all the readers and reviewers! **

**I hope to keep writing…and not take too long the next time…but I want to start going on a few of my other stories too…and I've got a few new stories in my head that I'd like to start writing too! Thanks for the patience, but I'll try to update more often! **


	12. Chapter 12: What Do You Want From Me?

**A/N: So, once again, I apologize for the long time between chapters. I was working on a few ideas and now have put those stories aside to start another chapter for this MIOBI. I do like Wes…and I have decided to keep him in the story! Whoop whoop! At least for a short while (eek, I'm beginning to act like the actual MIOBI show! That's not good!) **

**I do have one thing to explain: the TV show is slightly annoying by the amount of men that come in and out of the show. It is annoying how a guy can be around for a few weeks, start liking Payson, or another girl, and then leaving, never to be seen…and in the very next episode…another new guy in town! Ack! It's so annoying! I'm, still considering showing the other characters, but I'm not sure they'll play as big a role as in the show. **

**Also, I wanted to apologize because I've been neglecting Payson and Lauren…hopefully that'll change in this chapter! ;) **

**So, that's it with my ranting…I'll get back to writing my chapter! Hope you all like it! **

-…-…-…-…-…-

**Chapter 12: What Do You Want From Me?**

After a dance with Wes, Emily was sitting across the table from him at a local taco shop. They ordered a simple meal and sipped their drinks as they sat quietly for a moment, enjoying each other's company.

After their food was brought to the table, Wes was the first to speak. "So, what were you trying to forget while in the club?"

"Oh, you know…drama in my life."

"Like what?"

"Why are you so curious?"

"You entered the club with a frown, you were skeptical about dancing, and it wasn't until _after_ I sang the song that you began to smile. So, tell me what's up."

"I still don't think that's necessary. I mean, you did help me out. You helped me forget, I appreciate that. I just really don't want to talk about it."

"Look, like I told you at the club, I'm new in town. I don't know anyone and I won't tell anyone anything you tell me. I just want to help you out. Can I do that for you? More than just help you forget?"

"Fine, if you must know, I broke up with my boyfriend."

"Does that mean you're available?" an adorable smirk played on his lips before he took another sip from his drink.

"No, if I was available, I wouldn't have broken up with Damon."

"Were you cheating on him?"

"No, look, it's really hard to explain…really complicated."

"I'm sorry for interrupting but I think I can keep up. Take your time though." His hand rested against hers in a reassuring manner. He gave a soft smile to let her know he was sincere about wanting to know about her life and help her through her troubles.

"I'm a gymnast and at the gym, one of the rules is that we aren't allowed to date. I broke that rule because I liked a guy that's a musician. He was just so different from everyone else I've ever met. He's not like most other guys…he is different. He said he'd wait for me, but I was impatient. I didn't want to wait. He helped me gain confidence in my skills and helped me have a clear head while competing. It ended up that my coach decided to drop the no dating rule and let us date so long as it doesn't come between us and the gym. Can't you see? After I'm allowed to have a boyfriend, I break up with the one I've been dying to date openly! I'm such an IDIOT!"

"I don't think that makes you an idiot, Darlin'. You're just confused. You don't know what you want or what other people expect from you. You're just scared to be yourself."

"I don't know. I mean, I feel so broken after breaking up with him. I know he's hurt and I doubt he'll ever forgive me for what I did. I just…I thought that was the best thing for us."

"Now are you reconsidering?"

"Kinda, but I can't. I mean, I broke up with him last night. If I go back tonight, he'll think I'm so confused and don't know what I want. He'll think I'm unstable and probably will never want to be with me again."

"Let's hold onto that comment you made, 'he'll think I'm confused and don't know what I want.' Isn't that a true statement? You don't know what you want?"

"I guess so, but he'd hate me for making him go through that roller coaster just to go back to him and say, 'Hey Damon, sorry for putting you through that, but I was confused and thought I needed to break up with you to be successful. I've changed my mind yet again and as of this moment, I want to be your girlfriend again.' Wes, it doesn't work like that!"

"I'm pretty sure you shouldn't say it like that, but still why can't you tell him you were confused and have changed your mind? Why won't that work?"

"Because when I left, there was an air of finality for the both of us, from the both of us. I mean, I said it so matter-of-factly and after he kicked me out of his apartment, I heard him cuss more than I've ever heard, and the chaos that followed was just scary. I don't know how he'll react if I go back to him now."

"Well then, in that case I suggest you really think about it. What is it that _you_ want? If you want a boyfriend then you need to work with your emotions and accept your desire for this Damon guy. If you want to be a successful gymnast who doesn't have other connections, you have to put Damon out of your mind completely and move past him. If you want both, then you have to learn not to mix pleasure with business. Set ground rules. Try to consider that having a boyfriend might be more of a support than a distraction."

"How would I set up the ground rules?" Emily asked with slight interest in the conversation.

"Say, he can't come to the gym while you are training and can only come when it involves competition. Tell him you can only be with him over the weekends so that you don't get all confused. That may or may not include phone calls. I mean, call each other every night if you want or every other night if you want to keep space. I mean, I can tell you what to do, but what are the rules you _want _to follow?"

"How come everything seems so clear to you, so black and white?"

"I'm from the south, hon. I take pride in my ways. My parents raised me to be laid back and still come up with solutions. With that, I take stressful situations in stride. Take time to freak out, then step back and let the stress roll off ya. Just think about what you want, go after it, and stay yourself. Promise me you'll try?"

"I'll try I guess."

"So, the first step is figuring out what you want."

So, for the next hour and a half, the two contemplated and discussed what it was that Emily really wanted. She wanted gymnastics and Damon, and with that, she came up with some rules that would help keep her disciplined and keep her focused while at the gym, but still allowing herself a little freedom to be with Damon. She decided that she'd call him every night, and the rest of this week would be proving Damon just how serious she was about making their relationship work. Emily told Wes that Damon was moving to L.A. in the next week and she wouldn't be able to travel to see him because of her practice schedule. Wes' solution was for the two to webcam during the weekends so they could see each other and be with each other while they were far away.

"You know, you could both set up a dinner at your own place and then webcam with each other so you can be with each other on a date."

"That's a great idea!"

Emily wrote that idea down in her notebook along with all her other ideas and solutions for the relationship to work. Looking over everything, Emily realized just how much they had accomplished just sitting here.

"Thanks, Wes. You're really sweet to be here and helping me figure out my boyfriend issues. I bet this is the last thing you thought you'd be doing on a Saturday night with a girl."

"Well, it's been a lot of fun, I can guarantee that."

"So, enough about me, tell me about yourself. How come you moved here for school?"

"Well, like I said, I'm a music major. I felt that this had a great university and I wanted to explore some other states. I've been in Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, and I've gone to Tennessee and Kentucky for horse riding competitions, so I wanted a change of pace. I figured I'd be able to enjoy some city life and still be kinda close to home."

"So, are you going to CU here in Boulder?"

"I sure am Darlin'."

"So, what about music are you getting into?"

"Well, I'm getting into Jazz studies, composition and theory, and I plan to learn more about the entrepreneurship for musicians."

"Wow, so you're going all out, huh?"

"Yeah, music is my life. I love it and live it and I'll never give it away."

"That must be exciting. So, how about family life? Got a girlfriend or anything?"

"If I did, I wouldn't have asked you for the dance, Darlin'. My high school sweetheart had other plans. After we graduated from high school, I went to a community college and she moved to New York City to find fame and fortune through clothes designing. When I last contacted her, she was married to an actor and they were on their way to having the first kid…she never made it big with the design, but still hopes she can do something with it."

"Oh, well, I'm sorry."

"I'm not too worried about it. I shed my tears, said my words and have moved past it. I just plan on getting my degree in music and having free reign with my own songs and song choices. I'd also like to write songs for a few major artists"

"Good luck with all that. Maybe we can hang out more. So, where are you staying?"

"I'll be in the dorms for one year and then move out and find my own apartment. I just figured I'd settle in school and focus on my classes before really worrying about learning the city. However, I couldn't stay away from the clubs. Those, I had to find!"

"Well, I'm glad you found the one I was going to."

The conversation lasted late into the night until it was nearly 3:00 in the morning. Their conversations were friendly and random. They learned more about each other without telling their whole story. It was an enjoyable time for the both of them. Emily, however, had to go home so she could get ready for practice…and since Wes didn't want to let her walk alone he drove her back to her apartment and waited for her to enter her building.

-…-…-…-…-…-…

After another long practice, Emily walked over to the seating area where Wes was filling out some scholarship applications on his computer. "Hey, thanks for coming to my practice, Wes. What did you think?" Emily was truly curious because she wasn't sure how much of the practice Wes actually saw."

"You guys were great! All of you girls got some major skill. The blonde is so strong and knows how to strut her stuff and that one brunette gal is really flashy with her stunts. It was hard to keep my eyes of all of y'all."

"Yeah, Lauren's all about sex appeal and the beam. Kaylie is the flashiest gymnast I've ever seen, but she sure knows how to wow the crowd with her routines, especially floor." Emily looked down at her hands, "We had another gymnast who was so amazing and had great potential to be something amazing in the gymnastics world, but during competition not too long ago she fell and messed up her back. As of now, Payson's out of commission and we don't know if she'll even be able to walk much less continue gymnastics."

"I'm sorry to hear that about your friend. As for the girls I've seen today, they've all got their strengths, but what 'bout ya?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I'm talkin' 'bout, darlin'. What's your strength? I've seen ya practice just like all the other gals 'round here."

"I don't really know. I work really hard with the uneven bars. Flying is my favorite. I can't really get enough of that."

"See, that wasn't so hard. I'm still gonna say your flour routine was 'mazing!"

"You really think so?"

"Yup."

"Well, thanks," Emily responded with a slight blush.

"No problem, Darlin'." Wes answered back as he submitted his online applications and leaned back in his chair. "So, how much longer do ya practice?"

"I've got about two more hours, then I'll be done."

"Well, I'm starved, Sugar. I'm gonna grab a bite to eat and I'll be back to pick ya up. Sound good?"

"Yeah, have fun."

"You too. After you get off, I'd like to try out that smoothie place."

"Deal." With that, Emily left the area and went back to the gym to work on her floor routine with Sasha there to critique her.

Wes drove down the road and found a small pizza place that didn't have too many cars. Granted, it was already passed the lunch rush. Wes didn't mind though, that just meant he'd get his order in quick and enjoy a nice large pizza. He parked the car, walked in and stood behind just a couple of teenagers talking about how they were going to be getting lucky tonight at the high school prom. He rolled his eyes at their immaturity, but then pondered back to his younger days of high school.

When it was finally his turned, he looked at the young man taking the order and saw he looked like a train wreck. "What can I get you tonight?" he asked.

"I'd like a large two topping pizza…chicken and sausage and an order of bread sticks. Garlic for the sauce."

"Can I get you a drink?"

"Yeah, I think I'll take a Dr. Pepper."

"Your total will be $15.00."

Wes paid and as he was receiving his change, he saw the nametag that read "Damon." His eyes slightly widened as he began to think he was the luckiest man alive.

"You don't happen to know a gymnast do ya."

The tired looking young man slightly tensed at the word gymnast and looked Wes straight in the face before answering, "Why would you ask such a thing?"

"I met a fascinating gymnast last night. We hung out all night…but we spent 99% talking about her ex boyfriend, Damon."

"So you think I'm him?"

"Yeah, ya look a little like a train wreck…something that happens after a fresh breakup."

"So, did this girl have a name?"

"Yeah. Come to think of it…I can't really remember it," Wes replied. His tone was straight, but he just wanted to see this man's reaction.

"Well," he huffed, "I suppose she had nothing nice to say."

"Oh, she had plenty. Did I forget to mention that 98% of that 99% of our conversation was how she felt awful for breaking up with 'im?"

"No, I think you forgot to mention that."

"Yeah, I do that sometimes. Oh! Right, her name was something like Mia…"

"Emily," Damon correctly without missing a beat.

"Yeah, that's it."

Damon shook his head. "It don't matter. Nothing's gonna happen. She's so moody, I can't ever figure her out."

"Ever wonder if she's just hormonal?"

"She's a gymnast. She doesn't get a period."

"Oh is that so."

"Yeah, it is. They don't have enough body fat to even contemplate having kids."

"Well, then I suppose she's the best type of girlfriend." Once again, Wes was looking for Damon's reaction.

"You wouldn't consider…just because she can't…"

"Oh, I dunno. I mean, if her boyfriend won't consider getting back ta her, what's stoppin' me?"

As if on cue, Damon caught on. "You realize just how big an ass you are right now?"

"Yeah," Wes laughed. "I wanted to see how far I could go before you'd try to punch me."

"You're not from around here, are you."

"Nope, I'm Oklahoma made, Texas grown."

"Well, that's an interesting mix," Damon replied as he turned around to grab the pizza from the oven.

"Yeah, we moved a lot when I was a kid, but Oklahoma was where I was born, and Texas was where I spent my life after elementary school."

"So, what brings you here to Colorado?"

"College."

"Cool. Well, here's your order."

"Thanks. How 'bout ya sit with me for 'while. I wanna ask ya a few questions."

"Sure, let me just tell my friend."

"'Kay."

After the two men were seated, Wes grabbed a piece of pizza and signaled for Damon to do the same. When they both had pizzas in hand, Wes started off, "So, now that ya know I know your girl, what're you gonna do 'bout it?"

"What can I do? She broke up with me. I'm not going to go after her if she doesn't want it."

"You ain't huh. Well, what if she don't want to be broken up?"

"Then I'd consider taking her to a doctor before we get back together."

"Why," Wes chuckled.

"You don't know Emily. She really seems bipolar not really by the true diagnosis, but that she's hot and then cold. Like the song. She's hot and cold, she's yes then no." Damon shook his head, "It's an emotional roller coaster, and it's just really hard to get on and stay on."

"Yeah, but ain't that what love's all 'bout?"

"It's all about give and take…but all I do is give, and all she does is take."

"I can understand how that can be hard, but just think about her. She might be still trying to figure out who she is. Living as a gymnast must be extremely difficult. Just give her time. I'm sure she'll come through."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because we talked for a long time tryin' to figure out how she'd be able to embrace all aspects of her life. I think she got it all figured out."

"You know, I never got your name."

"Oh, where are my manners. The name's Wes, Wes Ryland."

"Well Wes, I hope you're considering getting your degree in Psychology because you are convincing me to talk to her."

"Maybe a lawyer than?"

"Whichever I guess."

"Nah, I'm more of a music guy."

"So, that's how you got Emily to talk to you."

"Yeah, she wouldn't dance with me unless she liked the song I sang."

"Where did you meet?" Damon asked honestly curious now.

"Ah, we met at a club. She didn't wanna dance with me, but I asked nicely…and had to wow her with a song."

"Nice," Damon answered as he looked down at the diminishing pizza.

"We didn't do anything but dance. Neither of us are like that. I was there just there for fun. I made no move for her. Besides, right off the bat she mentioned you and that if she was available, she'd be with you."

"Really?"

"She sure did. Well, I got an idea. Emily and I am supposed to go to the smoothie place after her practice. How 'bout you meet us there? You can hang out with her and talk, and I'll just get a smoothie and get out of your hair."

"Nah, you guys should hang out."

"Damon, man, I'm not droppin' her. I'm just loaning her out. I'll get a raincheck," Wes chuckled. "She said you'd be heading out to L.A. so I can hang out with her as often as I'd like once you're gone, but you can't fix your problem from that kinda distance."

"I guess you're right. Once we fix things up, I'll be able to focus on the songs I write…and the music bizz."

"Yup, ya sure will. Believe me when I say she's a great friend. I'll bet she's a great girlfriend too, but I'd never go there. My girlfriend went off to New York and we lost contact…last I found out, she was married and having her first kid. Apparently we forgot to 'break up' after we graduated. She must've figured it wouldn't have lasted anyway."

"I'm sorry man."

"I'm not. I guess I'm glad she did that to me early enough. Besides, I don't tell ya this for pity, but so you know I won't ever do that to another man."

"Thanks."

The two guys finished off the meal quickly and Damon went back to work while Wes headed back to the gym with new ideas forming on how to get Emily to not hate him when she saw Damon.

-…-…-…-…-…-…-…-…

After training for long hours, Kaylie, Lauren and Emily fell to the floors and stretched, "So, what's everyone's plans for tonight?" Lauren asked with a tired smile.

"I think I'm going to see Payson once I get out of here, and then I'm going for another run," Kaylie replied.

"I have to get some homework done in Algebra, and I have to write an English report, but after that, I'll probably drop by to see Payson," Emily responded between stretches.

"Well, I am going to find myself a date. With this allowance for dating, I'm not wasting any time. My dad's out of town for the week and I've got the house all to myself!"

Just as Lauren finished her comment, Summer came up behind her, "Hey Lauren, your dad called and I'll be staying with you for this week. I know you'll be busy with your gymnastics and such, but I plan to be around. Maybe we can go catch a movie or something. What do you think?"

"Yeah that sounds great! I'll go grab my stuff and we can head to the house now."

Kaylie smiled giving Emily a knowing look. Lauren was bound to find a way to sneak out of the house now. When Lauren was gone, Kaylie looked over at Emily and rose her eyebrows, "So, who's the other guy?"

"He's a friend who's been helping me figure out what all is going on with me."

"What do you mean? What kind of help?"

"He's helping me figure out all the drama in my life. He's not involved in any part of my life, so he's got a clearer picture of it all."

"Cool. How's it going?"

"Pretty good. We're gonna get a smoothie and probably head back to my place so I can get my homework."

"Well, best of luck." Kaylie replied with a smile.

"What about you? Has anything happened with Nikki?"

"Actually, yeah. He's coming with me to see Payson and for the run. I couldn't really tell Lauren that because, you know, she'd try to sabotage it somehow."

"Yeah, well best of luck right back at you. I really hope it works well for you both. You guys are a great couple!"

"You think so?"

"Yeah. Well, we should get into the showers so we can both great ready for our outings."

"Agreed." With that, both girls left the mats and ran over to the locker room. Nikki was still running through his pummel horse routine so Kaylie had some extra time which she was really glad to see.

-…-…-…-…-…-…

Once Emily was out of the shower and presentable for going out, Wes took her to the Smoothie place. "So, what do you feel like drinking?" he asked as he took his position to her left side.

"I think I'll get a strawberry banana smoothie. Medium. What about you?"

"I think the mango smoothie sounds really good about now."

"Great, let's get in line."

After they ordered, and Wes paid by threatening Emily that he'd have to take her clubbing hard core if she didn't, he led her to a bench at the corner.

He stood to the side and sipped his drink before looking at Emily, "Look Hon, there's no room for me here, so I'm gonna just give you some space."

"What are you talking about?" Emily asked all of a sudden feeling bad.

At that moment, Damon came from behind Wes. "He said we needed to talk," Damon explained somberly.

Emily looked up at the both of them with a shocked pale face. "Hon, are you alright?" Wes asked as he walked closer to her.

"Why? Why did you bring him…why now?"

"I met him at the Pizza Shack where I got lunch. We got ta talkin' and I figur'd ya both needed this conversation. It's fine. Really. I'll just meet ya at your place when y'all are done here. I promise." He looked between Emily and Damon, "Ya know, unless ya call me an' tell me not to come," he added as an afterthought.

"I'll give you a call then," Emily replied as she pulled her gaze from Damon for just a second to look at Wes. Her eyes showed thanks and appreciation, but still worry and pain. "Thanks for the drink."

"No problem Sugar. Keep in touch. No matter what. If we can't see each other tonight, I'll be available whenever ya need me…but not as a boyfriend or nothing. Just friends of course."

"Thanks," Damon replied as he looked back to Wes. He really meant it. Wes didn't have to do this, but he set it up for them to try to talk it all out and get to some level of understanding. Whatever it would be, they'd both be glad they got this chance to actually talk it out to the fullest.

-…-…-…-…-…-…

**A/N: So, I finally got this chapter added! Hurray! It feels a little short, but more will come with the conversation the two needs to be having. Payson and Lauren still didn't make much of a show, but they'll get in when the timing is right. Thanks for your patience and I appreciate the reviews, the favorites and the alerts! I will be working on the next chapter shortly! Wish me luck! **


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